Along for the Ride
by avan337
Summary: What happens between Betty and Daniel after the series finale
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: I started writing this a while back because I wanted to believe that Betty was in love with Daniel, too, and knew that dinner was a date, of sorts. It's kind of taken on a life of its own. I'll keep adding to it until I'm satisfied._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty or the show's characters. If I owned ABC, Ugly Betty would be back for Season 5._

**Along for the Ride**

The dinner conversation was light and casual. They talked all about her new position, about the London contacts he could reach out to for any job possibilities, about how their families were doing. She seemed happy, though admitted to being homesick and overwhelmed with her new responsibilities. He offered support and a little advice when asked.

It felt like old times, which soothed him. For a moment Daniel was tempted to forget the churning in his stomach when he had seen her earlier today and again when he picked her up at her apartment. He figured he could forget Hilda's words from the wedding; his mom's from the day Betty told him she was leaving. Correction, the day he found out she was leaving from a mass email.

It would be a hell of a lot easier; that was for sure. They did the friendship thing really well. And while it was odd for him to pick up and move across an ocean to maintain a friendship, Daniel could convince her, and himself, that that was what he was doing. But did he want to?

As he handed the dessert menu back to the waiter she blurted out, "So why didn't you?"

He was confused. "Why didn't I, what? Order the figgy pudding? It sounds kinda gross, don't you think?"

The attempt at humor seemed to be lost on Betty, as she had suddenly become very serious. "Why didn't you say goodbye?"

Oh, that little thing. Hadn't they talked about that already? She had forgiven him. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have stuck around and talked to him earlier today. She sure as hell wouldn't be here now.

Daniel looked up at her, trying to decide which version to tell her: the friend moving across the ocean theory, or the truth.

"I'm not leaving," she said in response to his hesitation, with a little smile tugging at the edge of her mouth. He recalled another moment she had said that to him, long ago. Another time when she had backed him into a corner and was staring him down. _So many moments, Betty. Mode was so bleak with you gone._

"Remember that night we hung out and ended up on the Brooklyn Bridge?" he asked.

Now it was Betty's turn to be confused._ Do I remember the night I realized we'd always be in each other's lives, Daniel? Duh._

"Yes. What does that have to do with this?"

"Remember I told you about how, when I thought Alex had died, I would pretend that he had gone on an endless trip." Daniel exhaled, fiddled with his dessert fork. "Well, it was kinda the same thing. When you told me you were leaving, I thought if I didn't actually say goodbye, it would be like you weren't gone."

There, the truth.

Betty was genuinely shocked. "Really?"

"Only it didn't work," he admitted. "You leaving was pretty much all I thought about since I read that email. And that first day at Mode with you gone sucked as bad as being at Player without you. I guess I'm here because I figured out denial doesn't get me anywhere."

That was not the answer Betty was expecting. Though, she had asked for it, didn't she? She could have let it slip by, just kept up the casual conversation. But the question had been eating away at her since that day in his office, when he cut her off and walked out. She told herself she didn't understand. But she did. And now she had forced his hand, and he didn't back down.


	2. Chapter 2

She wasn't saying anything, and it made him nervous. Did he make a mistake? Did he say too much? Well, she was the one who went down this road, so he might as well get an answer from her, too.

"Why didn't _you_ tell me you were leaving?" Daniel asked, "Why didn't you talk to me about the job offer in the first place? You've never kept anything like that from me before."

Her eyes darted up from her coffee cup to meet his blue ones. She wasn't expecting him to have lingering questions.

What version should she tell him? The one where you don't talk to your boss about a job offer from someone else? Or the truth?

But didn't he just tell the truth? He was staring at her. "I'm not leaving," he said, challenging her with an arched eyebrow. _Touché, Daniel. You always gave as good as you got. I've missed sparring with you._

He deserved the truth as much as she did.

"I was afraid you would ask me to stay, because I would have, and deep down I knew I really wanted this job."

Damn. Daniel bit his lip to keep from spewing out his response. This had suddenly turned into a minefield, and he figured one wrong word could send him back to New York before daylight. But he couldn't help his response. After all, they were telling the truth, weren't they?

He leaned forward, lowered his voice. "Betty, I did ask you to stay, and you still left."

She checked the sudden flash of anger that rose up in her. She could keep this about work; keep speaking in the vague terms that kept them from really saying what was going on.

But did she want to? She knew Daniel had become an integral part of her life, and saying goodbye to him had been awful. Correction, _not_ saying goodbye to him had been awful. But was there really something else? And if what Claire said was true for Daniel, was it true for her, too?

She looked at him, stared into those eyes she could read so easily. There was hurt, and questions, and concern, but there was also…love. It had been there all along. She wasn't sure what kind of love it was, or if it was a different love now than it was four years ago, but it was there. And she knew that he saw all those same things in her eyes, because she did love him, too. She was no longer sure in what way she loved him, but loving Daniel was a certainty that would never change.

"You offered me a job promotion, Daniel. You didn't ask me to stay."


	3. Chapter 3

"You offered me a job promotion, Daniel. You didn't ask me to stay."

What did she mean? Wasn't it the same thing? Oh, wait. No, it wasn't.

A little more honesty, then.

"I couldn't do that to you, couldn't give you a real reason to stay. I promised you a long time ago I would never hold you back. And I didn't want to, really."

As she listened to him, heard the vulnerability and sincerity in his voice, Betty's stomach started to churn.

"I'm so proud of you, Betty, you have no idea. I know I was an ass for not saying goodbye. Can you forgive me?"

_Oh, Daniel, you know I always forgive you. _

"Yes, if you can forgive me for not telling you about the job." She reached out and put her hand on his arm. "It was never about leaving you, Daniel. It was just what I needed to do."

He smiled what he knew was a goofy, overjoyed grin. She hadn't left him, not really. Why had he mixed it all up in his head? He was suddenly grateful for his heart, which is what got him on a plane, positioned him in front of her as she walked by today, and made it possible to be here with her now.

_Things are always better when you're around, Betty._

He moved the arm underneath her grasp, took her hand in his own.

"So, while you're taking over the world, or at least the publishing world, is it okay if I come along for the ride?" He was smiling, but there was earnestness in his face that caught her off guard.

What was he asking? Was he wondering if it bothered her that he wanted to stay in London? Did he mean he just wanted to maintain their friendship? Or was it more?

Did it matter? Her mind was all jumbled, but her heart knew the answer immediately.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Daniel."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Notes: **Thanks for the positive feedback! I will try to make the chapters longer, I promise!_

_I like the idea of Betty getting a shock and subsequently freaking out, though not on as large as scale as Daniel setting her contract waiver on fire. And I've fallen in love with my elephant. Hope you enjoy._

_**Disclaimers: **I own nothing, and I know very little about London. So I made stuff up._

**Part II: Betty, Daniel and the Elephant**

They spent the next few weekends being tourists. She told herself she had been too busy with work to explore the city before, but the truth was she hadn't wanted to go alone. And Daniel was a fun companion and equally excited to see everything he never paid attention to during his college tour of Europe. Betty silently wondered if there were any British DJ's wandering around.

During the week he would take her to dinner or meet her for coffee whenever she was available. Daniel stayed busy, too, networking and entertaining job offers. Being the former head of a publishing empire opened doors and, while he was determined to keep a job on his own merits, he didn't mind if his last name helped him land one. Betty reminded him of his own advice to her about her promotion at Mode: it's what you made of your luck that counted.

While they waited for their coffee at the café that was quickly becoming theirs, Daniel studied Betty's features as she shot off an email to her assistant. He knew eventually they would have to have The Talk. Betty was too smart not to understand what he was doing in London, and she had probably figured out that he knew she knew.

So it wasn't exactly a secret. And while they had returned to a sense of comfortableness with each other, it was still the big elephant that hung out with them wherever they were. Daniel was surprised he wasn't having to pay a third admission price into the museums for it.

Since she knew about the elephant, too, and hadn't exactly run from him, he figured he must have a shot. Betty was too honest and caring to lead him on. He hadn't risked more than holding her hand so far, but she never seemed freaked out or repulsed. And once, when they suddenly found themselves in a large crowd on the street, she had taken his hand.

Daniel saw all of this as encouraging, and wanted to get everything out in the open. But as he watched her put away her phone and smile up at him, he knew today was not the day. He was buying both Betty and the elephant a latte.

* * *

She had felt his eyes on her, which made it hard to concentrate on her Blackberry message. It no longer made her uncomfortable to realize Daniel was looking at her like that, but it still surprised her. Betty could figure out what he was doing in London, even without the help of Claire Meade's words. Though she often heard Claire's voice saying, "I have a theory," whenever Daniel randomly took her hand or hugged her goodnight a little tighter than he did before.

Betty knew eventually they would have to have The Talk. And while she would be happy to be rid of the elephant in the room, she couldn't help but wish for a little more time to figure out her own feelings. But for now, there was something else to discuss.

Putting away her phone, she smiled up at him. "So, how did the big lunch meeting go?"

Rick, a friend from Harvard who worked for the BBC, had told Daniel about an advertising agency that was looking for a creative director. The agency not only worked with high-profile corporations but also did social marketing for nonprofits and smaller businesses, which had been part of the attraction for Daniel and had the bonus of impressing Betty. His lunch meeting today had gone well, and he was hopeful.

When he said as much to Betty she offered plenty of encouragement. "Well, if they know what's good for them, they'll call you back first thing in the morning and offer you the job."

"We'll see," he replied, smiling at the way she always believed in him.

"So, about this weekend, I was wondering if you would be up for going to that open market. I hear they have good, cheap art and I want to look for some stuff for my apartment."

"That sounds like fun, but I won't be here," he said, watching the surprise take over her face. "That was the other thing I wanted to tell you about. I'm going back to New York."

"What?" Betty didn't understand. Weren't they just talking about a possible job? Wasn't he here for more than a visit? What about the big fat elephant sipping his latte between them?

Daniel could tell she was upset, which he hated to admit thrilled him a little. Even so, he couldn't leave her hanging for too long. "It's just for a week," he told her, hurriedly. She relaxed a little, waited for him to continue.

"Mom called last night. You remember I told you Tyler checked himself into a rehab facility after Wilhelmina's shooting?" She nodded. "Well, he did the detox and the 30 days and Mom asked if I would fly in for his graduation ceremony."

"Daniel, you said yes? That's really great." Even though she was still trying to process the news that he was going, Betty was proud of the reason.

He could see the pride in her eyes, and it buoyed him. "Yeah. Alexis and DJ are going, too. There is also some kind of family therapy we're all supposed to attend. It sounds dreadful, but I owe Mom, so…"

Daniel wasn't at all excited about talking to a shrink in front of the rest of his family, nor was he particularly thrilled at hearing what Alexis and Tyler would say about him. He would much rather be looking at crappy art on a London sidewalk with Betty.

"I'm proud of you, Daniel, and your mom must be so happy." She knew it was great that he was taking an active role in his family, but it still made her sad to think of him being away. "When do you leave?"

"Thursday," he answered. Two days. In two days Daniel would be gone. Would he come back?

As she listened to him give more of the details, Betty found herself irrationally angry all of a sudden. She had never asked Daniel Meade to come to London. She didn't ask him to stay. But now all she could think was that she didn't want him to go.

* * *

Unlike with her recent departure, Daniel made a point of saying goodbye, and of calling when he safely landed in New York. He sent her a text or two in the days that followed, but he was caught up with his family drama and figured she could use some time, too. He knew The Talk would be waiting for him when he got back, the big elephant hanging around in baggage claim. Maybe a little distance would help him put it all in perspective.

Across the Atlantic, Betty thought London never seemed so huge. It amazed her how used she was to Daniel's presence after a few short weeks, which seemed to fly by faster than the first three weeks she had spent there before he suddenly showed up, throwing himself back into her life.

She was grateful to hear from him when he got to New York, and was happy when he texted her, but she was surprised when he didn't call. She was wishing he had been there to hang up the new piece of art in her apartment, instead of having to stand on a chair to do it herself. Betty had a brief moment of panic as she hit the nail in the wall that maybe he would decide to stay in New York. It would be so easy for him to take his job at Mode back, to move on with his life as if nothing had happened between them here. What had happened, really? A few dinners, the Tower of London, and hanging out with an elephant?

When Monday rolled around and she found herself doodling a green elephant in her notepad instead of paying attention in the staff meeting, Betty knew she had to call him.


	5. Chapter 5

Seeing the name on the caller ID, Claire Meade picked up the phone sitting on the table next to her. "Hello, Betty, dear, it's Claire."

"Mrs. Meade!" Betty was happy to hear her voice, but would have preferred the one whose phone she dialed.

"I'm sorry to take you by surprise, but when I saw it was you I couldn't help but pick up Daniel's phone," Claire explained. "How are you?"

"I'm great," Betty replied, trying not to show how not great she felt at the moment. "I was just calling Daniel to see how things are going there."

Claire glanced from her view on the patio over to the basketball court. "They are going better than I expected, actually. Daniel and DJ are currently beating Tyler and Alexis at a game of two-on-two, and I'm watching them and sipping lemonade."

Betty couldn't help but smile at Claire's use of a sports term, and the image of Daniel biting his lower lip as he laid up a shot. "Wow; that sounds encouraging. They've all been getting along?"

"There have been a few rough moments, but overall it's been wonderful." Claire felt a lump form in her throat as she watched her boys – and her boy-woman – laughing and teasing each other. "I have all my children together for the first time, Betty. It's amazing."

As much as she missed Daniel, Betty was overjoyed that he had been part of giving this gift to his mother. "I'm so happy for you, Mrs. Meade. And I will let you get back to your family."

"Betty, it's really about time you start calling me Claire, and why don't I get Daniel for you? I know he'd like to talk to you."

"No, no, I don't want to interrupt," she replied. "Please just tell him that I called, okay?"

"All right, dear." After a moment's hesitation Claire continued, "Oh, and Betty?"

"Yes?"

"Daniel has taken a great leap of faith by going to London, and there's no one I trust more with his heart than you. But if you don't return his feelings, he needs to know."

"Mrs. Mea – Claire -, I…" Betty started to protest but was cut off.

"You don't have to say anything to me. But when the time is right, be honest with Daniel, please."

Leave it to Daniel's mom, she with the "I have a theory," to knock the elephant on his ass. Exhaling, Betty answered, "You have my word."

* * *

"Hey, you know we let you beat us, right?" Alexis said as they walked over to the patio table where Claire was sitting.

"Yeah, right," DJ snorted as she pulled him into a headlock and tousled his hair.

Daniel smiled at them as he poured himself some lemonade. Alexis may not have been the father DJ planned on, but they seemed to have developed a relationship that worked.

"Well, I'm just glad you all had fun," Claire said, smiling. She gave her middle child a pointed glance. "Daniel, you had a call a little while ago. From Betty."

His head came up so quickly he felt a little dizzy. "Really?" He hadn't expected her to call. Thought about it, wished for it, but didn't expect it.

"I hope you don't mind, but I answered when I saw it was her."

Daniel minded, but he was smart enough to pretend he didn't. "Sure, no problem," he lied, "Betty's your friend, too."

"Friend!" Alexis snorted under her breath.

Claire gave her daughter a warning stare. "Anyway, she wanted you to know she called. You should call her back."

He checked his watch. It was almost 8 p.m. London time. "Yeah, I think I will." Daniel tried to be nonchalant about picking up his phone, but he knew his smile was giving him away.

Before he could make a move towards the house for some privacy, Tyler interrupted. "Wait, Daniel, before you call Betty, there's something I need to ask you."


	6. Chapter 6

Betty glanced at the clock on her wall. It was almost 9:30. She was surprised that Daniel had not called her back yet, and more than a little disappointed. Once again the panic set in. What if he changed his mind about London, and just couldn't bring himself to tell her? What if he had changed his mind about her? Of course, that would imply that his mind had been made up about her, and she wasn't even sure of that.

Well, Daniel Meade could put an ocean between them again, but it didn't mean she had to go crazy. Just as she began mentally listing all the ways she could take her mind off of Daniel, the phone rang and she saw his face on the screen.

* * *

"Daniel!" She hadn't meant to sound so excited. After all, he should have called her back hours ago.

"Hey, Betty." He sounded…tired. "How are you?"

Oh, god. What was going on? "I'm good," she replied, bringing her voice down several octaves. "How are things going there?"

"Strange, but good," he answered truthfully. "I'm sorry it took me so long to call you back."

Hmm. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. "It's okay," she said, remembering that he was currently in a family crisis/bonding moment. "But I was kind of wondering if something was up."

On the other end of the phone, Daniel exhaled. "Actually, there is. I have to be honest with you, Betty -"

Oh, god. Oh, no. Here it is, she thought. He has changed his mind.

-"I'm sitting here with Mom and Tyler, and they have something to ask you. I'm going to put you on speakerphone, okay?"

What the hell? "Oooo-kay," she answered.

She listened as she heard the click and the rustling of clothes on furniture. They all said hello, then Claire spoke.

"Betty, you know that Cal Hartley is Tyler's father, and that he doesn't want anything to do with our son, right?"

"Yes" she replied, "and I'm sorry about that. He's missing out on knowing a great guy."

Daniel used every ounce of self control he had not to roll his eyes. He was angry with his mom and his new half-brother for putting him in this position. He just wanted to talk to Betty. He just wanted to see her. He was here to deal with his family, and now she was getting sucked into the drama.

"Thanks, Betty," Tyler answered. "Part of my therapy is dealing with the fact that my biological father doesn't want to know me. But I've been thinking, maybe my half-brother would like to meet me."

What did he mean? His half-brother was sitting right there. And what did Daniel have to do with Cal Hartley?

Oh, wrong brother.

"You want to meet Matt?" Betty asked. Daniel winced as he heard that name coming from her.

"Yeah, I'd like to find out if he has any interest in knowing me," Tyler explained. "I just need to know if there's a chance of having some connection with my father's side of the family."

Claire had been watching both of her sons as the conversation went on. She knew it was an awful thing to ask of Daniel, particularly in light of his newfound realization about Betty. But she felt she owed it to Tyler in light of Cal's rejection.

"I'm sorry to have to ask you this, Betty, but you are the only person I can think of who might be able to help us locate Matt," Claire said. "Do you know where he is?"

Daniel waited, holding his breath. Betty hadn't talked about Matt in months, at least not to him. Had she secretly been in touch with her most recent ex-boyfriend?

On the other end of the line Betty wondered what Daniel was feeling about all of this. She had talked to him about Matt the entire time they dated; now it was weird to even talk about Matt's whereabouts knowing Daniel was listening. She wished she could see his face.

"I got an email from him in February," she confessed. "He said he had 'lost his passion' in Botswana and was going to work in an orphanage in the Ukraine. I don't know if his cell number is the same, but I can give you that and his email address."

Daniel glared at his mother, knowing what was coming. "Actually, Betty, we were hoping you might contact Matt for us," Claire replied, "I doubt he would have any reason to answer a call or email from me, but I bet he would be glad to hear from you."

"You want me to call Matt?" Now Betty really wished she could see Daniel. "Daniel?" she couldn't help it. She needed to hear his voice right now.

Daniel's eyes grew wide as he looked at the phone. He hadn't heard that kind of confusion in her voice since the day she ran into him in Trafalgar Square. He hated this, every bit of it.

"I'm sorry, Betty, this wasn't my favorite idea," he answered, looking from his mom to Tyler. "I almost wasn't part of this call, but…Tyler does have a right to know his family. And Matt, despite being a world class flake, is a decent guy who would probably want to know he has a brother out there."

Betty let the sound of Daniel's voice calm her. He was being rational, mature, even. She smiled with pride at the man he had become.

"Okay, I will email him," Betty told them. "I'm sorry Mrs. Meade, Tyler, but I don't feel comfortable calling. If he doesn't answer his email, then I'll think about it."

"Thank you, Betty, this means a lot," Tyler said.

"Yes, it does," Claire echoed, smiling, "and remember dear, it's Claire."

Daniel cleared his throat. "Now if you two will excuse us, I'm going to take Betty off of speakerphone."

Claire and Tyler said their goodbyes to Betty and left the room, Claire kissing Daniel on the cheek and Tyler giving him a hug as they left.

* * *

"Hey," was all he could think to say to Betty when they'd gone.

"That was…strange," she said.

"I know, and I'm really sorry. Tyler brought this up earlier, right as I was about to call you back. We went back and forth for over an hour, before I finally caved," he explained. "I thought about making them call you themselves."

She took all this in. "No, it's okay, really. I understand Tyler's need to connect to his family, and Matt will probably be glad to know he has a brother. He used to say he wished he had siblings."

"I just, well, this just sort of feels…awkward, you know," Daniel realized awkward barely covered it.

"Yeah," Betty acknowledged, "but hey, at least we got to talk." She paused then said what she had wanted to say to him all day long. "I miss you, Daniel."

He grinned from ear to ear. Maybe being mature about all of this Matt business had scored him some points. He decided to test the waters. "So, do you miss me enough to see me when I get back? Say, Sunday?"

Wait, what did he say? "Sunday?" Betty questioned, "I thought you were coming back Thursday."

Was she whining? Did she really miss him that much? "I was, but DJ has to get back to school so he and Alexis are taking the Meade jet back Wednesday. I got a red-eye for Friday night."

"Oh."

Daniel waited for her to say something else. When she didn't, he asked, "So, Sunday?"

He was coming back, Betty told herself. He had a flight and a schedule. She would see him…in six days. "Yep, Sunday."

He looked at his watch and mentally added the hours for London time. "I should let you go; it's getting late there."

She was willing to keep talking, but couldn't really think of an excuse to stay on the line. "Okay," she answered. "Well, goodnight, Daniel."

"Goodnight." He paused for dramatic effect. "Hey, Betty?"

"Yeah?"

"I miss you, too," Daniel said, smirking as he shut the phone off before she could say anything else.


	7. Chapter 7

Daniel woke up as they landed in London. Groggy, and not quite sure what the local time was, he made his way off the plane and through the airport, wincing at the sunlight coming through the windows.

As he neared the exit where the cabs were stationed, he thought of trying to call Betty. He had missed her, but hadn't called her again after the Matt debacle with his family. Daniel may not know a lot, but he knew women. He had scored points with Betty that night, and he was leaving well enough alone. But that didn't mean he wasn't sorely missing the sound of her voice.

So caught up thinking about Betty, Daniel could have sworn he saw her waving to him near the doors. Shaking it off, he smiled to himself and kept walking, until he realized it really was Betty, and she was coming towards him.

"Daniel!" She yelled at him to catch his attention, shoving her way through a group of stragglers. He watched in stunned silence as she made her way through the crowd and hurled herself into his arms. Just the way she used to. "God, I missed you," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her and letting his carry-on bag fall to the floor.

If Betty realized how crazy she seemed at the moment, she didn't care. She held tighter to him, making sure he was really there. "You're here," was all she said.

They stayed that way for a few moments, until Daniel's curiosity got the better of him.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but what are you doing here?" he asked, pulling away to look at her.

"I don't know," she said, somewhat frantically, "I don't know!"

Confusion melted into concern as he took a good look at her. "Betty, what's wrong?"

"I don't know!" she yelled again. For some reason, she wanted to slap him. Wasn't it just seconds ago she was so relieved to see him?

"You showed up, and then you left!" she continued, "and then Matt called this morning, wanting to come here to meet Tyler, so he could see _me_, too…"

"What?" His eyebrows shot up at the sound of Matt's name. Was she upset about the thought of seeing Matt? Was that what this was about? Was she here to lean on her old friend Daniel again? Crap.

Betty heard his question but ignored him and kept plowing through. "And I told him no, that wasn't a good idea, and I just wanted to see you but you said Sunday, and that's a whole day away, so I called your mom and got your flight number…"

What the hell was going on? "Betty, what is going on?"

God, he really could be dense sometimes, she thought as she rolled her eyes. "You, Daniel!" He jumped back a little as she yelled again and hit him on the shoulder. "YOU'RE what's going on! I wasn't expecting you to be so upset at me leaving New York. I wasn't expecting you to come here, and I wasn't expecting to feel the way I felt when you left." Her voice broke a little as she looked up at him plaintively. "I wasn't expecting…you."

As Daniel watched Betty's face throughout her diatribe, he saw it. The same thing his mother must have seen on his own face that day he found out she was leaving: the horror and amazement at realizing you've fallen for the last person on Earth you ever thought you'd fall for. Daniel thought she had never looked more beautiful.

Betty didn't think she was making any sense, but looking into Daniel's eyes, she knew he understood exactly what she was saying. It was both reassuring and terrifying.

Taking her face in his hands, Daniel looked her in the eyes, feeling a sudden surge of confidence. "I wasn't expecting you, either, but I can't deny it. I don't want to."

Her eyes were locked on his, feeding off of the strength she saw in them.

"Betty, you know I wouldn't have come here, I wouldn't have risked all this if I wasn't absolutely sure," he said, earnestly. "You know that, don't you?"

Betty took a deep breath and exhaled. "Yes," she answered.

"And you know I would never, ever do anything to intentionally hurt you, right?"

"Yes. I-"

He put his thumb on her mouth to stop her. "So you have to believe me when I say that we can do this, that this is right. I know it as sure as I know I'm standing here. All I need to know is that you think it's right, too."

Never in her years of knowing Daniel would Betty have expected to see him standing in front of her, saying these things to her. Well, really, speaking in a code that only she could understand, but still. It was overwhelming, and exhilarating.

How could she best articulate what she was feeling? What were the perfect words for this moment?

"Oh, Daniel," was all she could manage to sputter as she nodded and smiled through teary eyes, gripping his arms a little tighter.

He chuckled. All this time he had been worried about The Talk, and they just short-handed it. It was so…them.

And right there, in Heathrow Airport, Daniel Meade kissed Betty Suarez, and the elephant in the room smiled, waved goodbye and was gone.

_Coming soon, Part III: The Tough Stuff_


	8. Chapter 8

**III: The Tough Stuff**

It was a beautiful Saturday morning as they strolled through the streets of London hand-in-hand.

"So, tell me again why I'm coming with you to look at these apartments?" Betty asked.

"Don't you mean flats?" Daniel corrected, using a very bad British accent.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine: flats."

"Because, I respect your opinion," he answered, swinging their intertwined hands, "and, as my _girlfriend_, I'm hoping you'll be spending a lot of time at whichever place I choose, so you may as well have a say in the decision."

In the week that had passed since Betty had met him at the airport, he had taken to constantly referring to her as his girlfriend. It made her giggle at first; now it just made her smile.

She waited until their hands were on an upswing and twirled underneath them, causing Daniel to laugh.

"Okay, okay," she said as she fell back in step with him, "As Hilda would say, let's do this bitch."

Daniel cleared his throat. "Speaking of your family, have you told them about us yet?"

"Yeah, of course," Betty answered. She didn't mention that she had waited until she was on the phone with her father instead of video chatting because she was afraid of seeing his reaction, and that she almost chickened out of telling Hilda. If she hadn't already told them Daniel had come to London, she may not have said a thing.

"And?" he pressed, sensing that there was more to her silence than to what she said.

"And, they are happy for me."

Daniel knew that tone of voice. She was lying; or at least fibbing.

"Really?" he asked, his skepticism written all over his face.

Betty was realizing that getting romantically involved with your best friend could be tricky. She might have been able to fool anyone else, but not Daniel.

"Okay, Papi is worried that we're rushing into this," she admitted, "and while Hilda thinks it's romantic, she says I should be concentrating on my new job right now. Bobby didn't really say anything, but Justin is happy for us!" She emphasized the last part with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

He nodded as he listened, then asked, "Did you tell them we're not rushing? And that I want you to be successful, too?"

"Yes, I told them." Betty could only think of one other time that Daniel was concerned about the family of a woman he was dating, and that had been Wilhemina. "Daniel, you don't have to worry about this."

"Of course I have to worry about this!" he replied incredulously, "I respect your father – and Hilda – and I want them to understand that I only want what's best for you."

"So you're what's best for me?" she asked, teasing.

Daniel stopped walking and turned his face towards the traffic. "You _know_ what I mean, Betty."

Though his reply came out sounding pouty, she could see that he was being serious, and she was touched.

"Daniel, I promise you, my family may need time to get used to the idea, but they will be happy for me, and for you." She tugged on his arm, making him look down at her. "You know they care about you, too."

He blew out a breath, wondering why he had hoped Betty's family would have instantly accepted the idea of him being the man in her life. After a few seconds he answered, "All right, if you say so."

"I do say so," she said definitively. "Now, what did your family say?"

For the second time in five minutes he was incredulous. "Are you serious? Mom has been thrilled from the beginning. Alexis is happy to have another thing to tease me about, and Tyler is just glad to be part of the conversation. I think they all like you better than me, anyway."

She snorted. "That's not true! Well, your mom does adore me," she teased, giving him a flirty smile, "but I'm pretty sure she likes you more."

Looking at her smiling up at him, with that new glint in her eye, Daniel couldn't help but feel better. "There's really no accounting for her taste," he said, flirting back, "probably from all those years of drinking."

She noticed him inch his head down closer to her, knew where this was headed. "If it's any consolation to you, you're _my_ favorite Meade."

"It is," he replied, as their noses touched and he lowered his eyelids, "Team Daniel."

"Team Daniel," she whispered back just before he kissed her.


	9. Chapter 9

"All I'm saying is that she could show a little more initiative," Betty unlocked the door of her apartment as she talked over her shoulder to Daniel, who followed her in with the bags of take out they ordered. "She could make this more than just an assistant's position."

Betty's criticism of her new assistant had been a frequent topic of conversation of late. "Maybe she doesn't want to be more than an assistant," Daniel answered as he set the bags down on the kitchen table. "Not everyone is as ambitious as you are. I think you're projecting."

Looking at him as if he had two heads, she began - "I am not" - but didn't finish. She gave it a little more thought as she finished unpacking the food, then popped her head up in surprise. "That's exactly what I'm doing, isn't it?"

He responded by giving her a self-satisfied smirk and tilt of his head.

"Huh," Betty said, realizing that once again, Daniel had proven how well he knew her. She cut her eyes over to where he was opening a bottle of wine. "Any progress finding _your _assistant?"

The week after he returned from New York, Daniel had been offered the creative director's position at the ad agency he'd interviewed with, as well as a job in purchasing at Harrods and a feeler from an acquaintance at another publishing company. He had talked over his options with Betty and realized the advertising job offered more of a challenge and a chance to flex his creativity. He was in his second week at the agency, and was thrilled that no one below his position knew who or what a Daniel Meade was before he got there. He would be judged on his work, nothing more.

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" he asked Betty coyly, "I hired someone on Monday."

"Daniel, it's Wednesday! Why didn't you tell me?" She eyed him suspiciously, "Oh, no, you didn't. How old is she? Is she seven feet tall? Is her name 'Dottie," like 'hottie'?"

He was going to pretend offense, but her apprehensive look made him laugh, giving him away. "She is a 54-year-old mother of three who is working to help pay for her kids' private schooling," he explained. "Her name is Lydia, and she can't wait to meet 'this Betty that I keep going on about.'" He said the last part trying to imitate the older British lady, eliciting another eye roll from Betty.

"Please quit doing the accent thing," she fussed, but she was smiling. "You talk about me at work? That's so sweet."

Now it was Daniels turn to roll his eyes. "I may have mentioned you. Don't you ever talk about me at work?"

"I may have mentioned you," she shot back. "So, yay, you have your new job, a new assistant and by the weekend your new apartment!"

"Flat," he replied in his fake British accent without thinking. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"And since you chose the _flat_ with the big kitchen…"

"You mean the one with the great view and room for a big TV," he offered.

"…with the big kitchen," she repeated, "I am going to cook you dinner this Saturday night to celebrate."

"Sounds great!" he replied. "And my new, huge TV should be installed, so we can watch some movies." He plunged his fork into a piece of chicken, thinking how good some tamales would taste. "Wow, you haven't cooked for me in ages."

"I know," she agreed. "I guess it hasn't been since…"

They both stopped moving as they realized when it was. The silence was instantly uncomfortable.

"…since right after Molly died," Daniel finished her sentence. Betty gave him a small nod then looked down at her plate.

He sat down his fork, fiddled with his napkin for a few seconds before asking, "Do we need to talk about this?"

Betty felt like the walls of the apartment were closing in on her. "I'm not sure what there is to talk about. I was there, Daniel," she said, looking everywhere but at him, "I know how much you loved Molly."

"Yes, I did love Molly," he agreed. Reaching out to take her hand, he gave it a squeeze and continued, "But you know that has nothing to do with the way I feel about you, right?"

She wasn't so sure she knew that. "I guess."

He answer shocked him. "Well, it doesn't. I will always remember Molly, but I've moved on. C'mon, Betty, you have to know that."

Betty thought about the state Daniel was in after Molly died, about the cult, his casual fling with Amanda and dumb Trista.

"I know," she admitted, finally looking at him. "I just…don't know how to feel right now. It's not like you two broke up or that you stopped loving Molly. You would still be with her if she hadn't died."

"You didn't break up with Matt because you stopped loving him," Daniel countered. "You would still be with him if he hadn't left town."

Betty sensed anger from Daniel as he talked about Matt. She wondered if he ever approved of Matt for her, or if this was new animosity because of their current relationship.

"Daniel, it's not the same thing."

"No, it's not," he said, pointedly, "because Matt could show up any day, say he's sorry and ask for another chance."

Even as he said the words, Daniel knew this had been stewing inside him since Tyler had asked Betty to contact Matt, and Matt had in turn tried to see her.

She looked at him in shock, followed quickly by anger of her own. "Don't try and turn this around on me. Besides, even if Matt did that, I would say no."

He realized that beneath his anger was fear. He needed to hear her say she didn't still want to be with Matt.

In her flash of anger, Betty had pulled her hand away from him. As they sat in another minute of uncomfortable silence, Daniel breathed deeply and calmed down. He got up and pulled his chair to her side of the table, reaching for her hand again.

"I don't know what to say to make this better," he admitted. "You know how hard it was for me to get over Molly, but I did. And you know I couldn't have done it without you.

"Betty, the worst and best times of my life have happened over the past four years, and no matter what, I've been able to count on you. When I realized I was in love with you, it was almost a relief. Maybe I wouldn't be ready to move on if it was with anyone else. But it's you, and I am. I promise you."

He was so caught up in finding the right words that he missed Betty's eyes growing as big as saucers. "What did you say?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked back before realizing what he said. Well, he thought, no turning back now. "I said I'm in love with you. I love you, Betty."

Her breathing had become ragged and she couldn't quit staring at him. "Daniel, we've only been dating three weeks."

He laughed out loud at the absurdity of that statement. "You do realize I wouldn't be here if I wasn't in love with you long before then, right?"

For someone so smart, Betty was feeling quite dumb at the moment. "Okay, but, when did you, I mean, I don't know if…"

"It's okay, you don't have to say it back," he told her, sensing her hesitation. "I'm the one who changed the rules, who followed you here." He gave her a small, flirty smile. "I can wait for you to catch up."

Once again, she found herself face-to-face with Daniel Meade and flustered to the point of speechlessness. She smiled at him; reached up and stroked his cheek while she collected her thoughts.

Finally she said, "Daniel, I'm going to be okay with Molly, with all of this. But it _is_ still new to me, and I just need some time."

Baby steps, thought Daniel; look how far they'd come since their first dinner in London. "Then you're in luck, because we have plenty of time," he assured her.

She had a million thoughts and feelings running through her, just bubbling underneath the surface. If she had been more of a risk taker, she might have just blurted something out. Instead, she said, "So, I'm definitely cooking for you on Saturday. Time for us to make new memories, don't you think?"

When he nodded in reply, she leaned over and kissed him, thanking him without words for understanding.


	10. Chapter 10

**_I was in such a hurry to post last time that I forgot to thank all of you for the awesome feedback! It it much appreciated!_**

"I appreciate you doing this on short notice, Hilda," Betty said into the camera on her laptop.

"Lucky for you, my one afternoon appointment is done," Hilda replied as she straightened up the manicure station in her salon. "Besides, I figured it must be important for you to want to video chat on a Thursday afternoon."

Betty let out a deep breath. "It is."

"Let me guess: Daniel," Hilda said. When her sister nodded, she asked with evil in her voice, "What did he do?"

"No, he didn't _do_ anything," Betty clarified, but then she added, "Except tell me he's in love with me."

Hilda's expression changed from protective to excited. "Ah, he finally told you! That's great."

"What do you mean _finall_y?"

"Oh, come on, Betty, it was pretty obvious why he went traipsing after you to London. Men don't do that kind of thing unless they are in love."

"She's right, Chipmunk," Bobby said as he approached Hilda, who turned her neck to kiss him hello.

Betty said hello to her brother-in-law as Hilda turned her attention back to the computer. "So, did you say it back?"

"No."

"Why not?" Hilda screamed as Bobby pulled up a chair beside his wife.

"Because!" Betty yelled back, "I'm not sure how I feel. I mean I know I feel something, but…"

"But what? Betty, you wouldn't have gotten in this deep with Daniel if you didn't love him, too. So what's the problem?"

"It's not a problem, really, it's just that…we talked about Molly." She suddenly felt guilty for wanting to talk to her sister about this.

"Oh," Hilda suddenly understood the problem, and why Betty had reached out to her.

"Daniel said that he's moved on, and I believe him…"

"But?" Hilda prompted.

"I saw him fall in love with Molly. I saw how much it hurt him when she died," she explained. "And now, just over a year after that, he's saying he's in love with me. I mean, if it were any other woman, I would probably tell him that it's too soon."

"But you're not any other woman, Betty," Hilda said sympathetically. "I think you know that."

"Yeah, I know," Betty admitted. "I guess I just need to understand how it works: how do you love someone who died while loving someone new at the same time?"

Hilda took her time in answering, felt Bobby's hand on her knee. She placed her own over his. "It's not like it's a competition. When Santos died, I thought I would never find love again." Hilda glanced at her husband and gave him a smile. "But I did. And while I still love Santos, it's different. I think your heart makes room for new love, so you can live again."

Betty smiled at the beauty of her sister's words. Before she could say anything else, Bobby spoke up, "You know, Chipmunk, I don't have a lot of love advice to give out, but you shouldn't let this stop you from being with Daniel if you want. If I had let Santos' memory stop me from being with Hilda, I would have missed out on the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Oh, baby," Hilda said as she grabbed his face and kissed him.

"All right, all right," Betty yelled to disrupt the PDA. "Thank you, both of you. It's just so confusing. I mean, this is Daniel."

"You know, Betty, I don't think you're worried that this thing with Daniel isn't for real. I think you worried that it _is_."

"What?" Hilda's theory genuinely confused her.

"Just think about it," Hilda replied. "We have to go get Justin. You gonna be okay?"

Betty took a deep breath and smiled, "Yep, thanks again. Love you guys!"

Hilda said, "Love you!" as Bobby said, "Hang in there, Chipmunk!" and then they were gone.

Betty shut off her computer, pondering what Hilda has said.


	11. Chapter 11

"That was fun," Daniel said, throwing his jacket on the chair and slumping onto his couch.

"Yeah, it was," Betty agreed, taking off her shoes and sitting on the couch next to him.

She had been uncomfortable socializing with her own employees, but there were a few other female editors at Dunne Publishing that Betty had become friends with. One of them, Marisa, had suggested that she and Daniel go out with her and her husband. After several weeks of scheduling conflicts, they had finally gotten together.

"Did you want to go to that second club?" Daniel casually asked as he flipped through the TV channels.

"No, I'm tired," Betty answered then glanced his way. "Why, did you?"

"Nope." After a few beats he added. "That bartender was hitting on you."

"C'mon, Daniel," she replied in obvious disbelief.

"He was," he insisted, his tone of voice teetering between amused teasing and outright jealousy. "Trust me, I can tell."

"You're crazy," was all she said in reply.

Daniel looked at her profile, her feet tucked underneath her and a pillow in her lap. "You don't know, do you?"

She looked over at him. "I don't know what?"

"How beautiful you are." She averted her eyes and lowered her head. Daniel caught her chin, made her look up. "Don't do that," he told her, "you _are_ beautiful. Why don't you know that by now?"

"I guess it takes hearing it from someone besides my father," she said sheepishly, but smiled.

"So I'll tell you more often," Daniel replied, moving his hand from her chin to her knee. "Or you could just go back to that club and let the bartender hit on you some more."

Her response was to smack him on the forearm.

"It was good to get out, meet new people, go to new places," Betty said.

"Tired of me already?"

"Ha ha, you know what I mean," she answered.

"I do," Daniel agreed, "and I'm glad you're making new friends at your job."

They watched TV in silence for a while. Out of the blue, he asked, "Am I ruining your life?"

Betty looked him with her jaw hanging open, "Random!" she cried, "What on earth are you talking about?"

Daniel turned off the television and turned to face her. "We've never talked about the fact that I'm eight years older than you. I've already had a lot of life experiences that you haven't."

"And now you're living in this exciting new city," he continued, "you were probably looking forward to going out, meeting new people, like you said, and dating new people, I guess. Then I show up, and now you're spending most of your free time with me. So, am I ruining your life?"

She appeared to really consider the question. "Wow, I never thought about how much older you are," she began, "and I _was_ hoping to date tons of guys – not just in London, but all of the UK – so I guess you _are_ ruining my life, you geezer."

Daniel's eyes had narrowed as he listened. "You really shouldn't mock your elders, young lady."

Betty laughed and took the hand he had on her knee. "First of all, our age difference has never bothered me…"

"Because I'm so immature?" he injected.

"Probably," she answered with a smirk. "And second, I've never thought of you being here as a hindrance or a problem. Daniel, you haven't ruined anything. In fact, you've made it so much better."

As Betty watched him smile in relief, she ventured, "If anything, I feel like I've ruined your life."

"How so?" he asked.

"You quit your job at Mode, which I know you loved," she said, giving him a pointed glare, "and you left your home and family to come here, for me."

"It's true, I probably wouldn't have quit if you hadn't left, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing, or that I did it for you," Daniel answered. "Well, not all for you."

"It just hit me that day looking at the book," he continued his explanation. "I no longer felt like I had to prove myself, I was no longer in need of my father's approval. I knew in that moment that I could choose my own path. That is real freedom, Betty, and I wouldn't have it if it hadn't been for you."

"So, you don't regret being here?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not in the least."

"And you don't resent me, even a little, for leaving?" It was something Betty had wanted to ask, but had been afraid of the answer.

"I did at first," Daniel admitted, "but that's because I was figuring out how I felt about you, and I was hurt. When it finally occurred to me that we weren't on the same page, and that you weren't rejecting _me_, I knew I had to come here, to find out what we could be."

Betty put her hand over her heart the way she did when she was touched. Smiling, she told him, "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"For not making me choose," she answered. "For coming to London, for being amazing."

"I told you I can't live without you, and I meant it," Daniel said. "It just had nothing to do with work."

Betty always knew, from her previous vantage point, that Daniel had a way with women. But now that he was looking at her that way, saying those things, she realized his spell could be very powerful. When he reached over to kiss her, she was more than ready...

* * *

...until she wasn't. They had been in the midst of a heavy make-out session when she had felt Daniel's hand on her blouse buttons. It was the first time in the month they had been dating he had done that, and she freaked. She pulled out of his embrace, winding up on the far side of the couch.

It took Daniel a few seconds to regain coherency and realize what happened. "I'm sorry," he said as soon as he saw her face.

"No, I'm sorry," Betty told him, "I'm being crazy. I don't know why I reacted that way."

"It's okay," he tried to reassure her.

"It's not okay. It's not like I don't want to, Daniel, I just…"

"You don't have to explain," Daniel said. "I know my history has always bothered you."

"It's more my history I'm thinking about," Betty clarified, "or lack thereof."

"What?" he asked. "Betty, you don't have anything to be nervous or embarrassed about. It's just you and me here."

She wanted to tell him that having this conversation was embarrassing. "I know," she said, giving him a grateful smile. "I think we've established that I'm the hesitant one in this relationship."

Despite his current desires, the sound of "this relationship" from her made his heart soar. "And I'm the one who promised to give you time. I just got caught up in the moment." He gave her a small smile of his own.

"I am sorry, Daniel." She slid back towards him on the couch, wanting to feel his warmth.

"Don't be," he told her, "I can wait."

After a few more tentative kisses, Betty decided she should go home. Daniel didn't try to stop her.

Later that night, as she lay in her own bed, Betty wondered what Daniel was feeling, and she remembered what Hilda had said. _"I don't think you're worried that this thing with Daniel isn't for real. I think you worried that it is."_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's note:** Thanks again for the lovely feedback! This one's pretty long._

The following Tuesday, Daniel was at his desk reviewing ad copy when his cell phone rang. He recognized the number; it was Betty's home in Queens. He couldn't decide if he was more scared of it being her father or her sister, and he wondered what he had done to tick off whichever one it was.

Tentatively, he answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, Daniel," he heard the male voice on the other end say. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Suarez," he tried to his anxiety, "how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks," Ignacio replied. After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "This may sound strange, but I was wondering if you have plans with Betty tonight."

"No, she said she was working late." Daniel wondered if he was walking into some kind of trap. "Why?"

He heard the older man exhale over the line. "I was afraid of that. I bet she hasn't even told you what today is."

Daniel's curiosity was piqued. "No. What is it?"

"It would have been her mother's birthday," Ignacio told him.

"Oh, I had no idea," Daniel replied, a little embarrassed that he didn't know, and more than concerned about why Betty hadn't mentioned it.

"When I talked to her earlier, she sounded a little down," her father said. "I was hoping you might check on her."

"Of course," he agreed without hesitation. "I wish she had said something."

"You know how Betty can be," Ignacio answered, "she thinks she always has to be the strong one. I'm glad she has you there, Daniel."

Daniel felt grateful that he had the trust of Betty's father. He also couldn't help but feel a pang of jealously at how much Ignacio loved his children.

"Thank you, Mr. Suarez," he said. On impulse he added, "I know this is awkward to say on a long-distance phone call, but I just want you to know…I really love her."

Ignacio smiled, both with relief that Betty had Daniel, and that the young man had been so bold. "I know you do, son," he answered, "and I'm glad for you both. Just take care of her, okay?"

"I promise," Daniel said solemnly.

After they had said their goodbyes, Daniel informed his assistant that he would be leaving a little early.

* * *

Betty had managed to make it through the day without crying, even after speaking to both her father and Hilda. It was when she was home, taking off the necklace her mother had given her so long ago, that she broke down.

Changing into pajamas and fuzzy slippers, she curled up on the couch and turned the television to some mind-numbing show. Just as her sobs were subsiding, she heard a knock on the door. Surprised, and thinking it might be the wrong door, she ignored it.

The second knock was louder. Grunting, Betty got up and opened the door. She was stunned to see Daniel on the other side, holding a grocery bag.

"I've got wine, chocolate and ice cream," he told her, "I didn't know what was called for in this situation."

"Daniel!" she said in surprise. "What are you doing here? How did you know-"

"That it's your mom's birthday?" he asked. When she nodded, he continued, "Your father was worried about you, so he called me."

He stepped into her apartment as he spoke. She let him in and closed the door before saying, "Oh, he shouldn't have."

"Correction, he shouldn't have _had_ to," Daniel replied, "but we can discuss that later. Right now, what will it be?" He held up a bottle of wine in one hand and a pint of ice cream in the other.

Betty hesitated for a moment, embarrassed that he was seeing the blubbering mess that she was, but also touched that he was there. Finally, she smiled a little and said, "Ice cream now. Put the wine in the fridge."

Daniel did as he was told, grabbing two spoons and leading Betty to the couch. They ate in silence for a while, then he said, "I would ask if you're okay, but it seems obvious the answer is no."

"Normally I would handle it better," she told him, "I guess it's just being away from my family for the first time that made it so bad."

"Did your mom have to make her own birthday tamales?" he asked.

Betty thought back to the conversation they'd had after his father had died. "Yes. Papi offered, but she made them the best."

"Any other traditions on her special day?"

She shook her head. "No, we would just all be together. I mean, when we were kids we'd make her these silly cards and homemade presents. But mainly she just wanted us there. Family was so important to her."

As she spoke those last words, Betty's voice broke. Daniel took the pint of ice cream from her, put it and the spoons on the coffee table, and took her in his arms. It took her a few seconds to relax before she let herself cry on his shoulder.

* * *

After she cried herself out, Betty sat up and wiped her face. "The ice cream is melting," was all she said.

"C'mon," Daniel told her pulling her off the couch with him. "I'll put the ice cream away; you go wash your face."

She was surprised when she saw his image in the bathroom mirror a few minutes later.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered, putting down the towel in her hands and turning to him, slightly nervous.

He took her by the arm and led her toward the bed.

"Daniel, what-" she began.

"I'm going to make sure you get to sleep," he answered, looking her straight in the eyes, "and then I'm going to sleep on the couch."

"You don't have to," she offered.

"I know," was all he said in reply. He pulled back the covers and stood waiting. She got in, made room for him. Daniel held her until he could tell she was sleeping. Resisting the urge to fall asleep right there with her, he got up, turned the lights out and lay down on her couch.

* * *

Daniel woke the next morning to the smell of coffee under his nose and Betty's hand on his shoulder.

"Good morning," she said, smiling. He noticed her eyes were still a little puffy, but it looked like she had slept well.

"Morning," he answered, sitting up and taking the mug she offered. "Been a long time since you got me coffee," he joked.

"I still remember how you take it," she replied. As she watched him take a sip, she said, "Daniel, I really want to thank you for coming over last night. It meant a lot to me."

"No thanks needed." He couldn't stop himself from asking, "Betty, why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I didn't want to bother you," she answered. Seeing his reaction, she held up her hand and continued, "I know, it's ridiculous, but how was I supposed to drop it into conversation? 'Yeah, let's go to that movie next weekend, and by the way, my mom's birthday is Tuesday so I'm going to be a little depressed'?"

"Yes!" Daniel exclaimed, putting the coffee cup down and taking hold of her arms. "Or any other way you wanted to tell me. I don't care."

She looked at him with confusion, not sure why he seemed agitated.

"Betty, I want to be here for you, through the good and bad," he continued. "I know it's hard for you to ask for help, but this relationship should be give and take. Do you think you can trust me enough to let me in?"

"I trust you, Daniel," she answered, "I just never thought of in that way. In my mind, I was sparing you."

"That's just it, I don't want to be spared," Daniel insisted. "I want all of you, not just Peppy Betty." He gave her a small smile.

She smiled back, and the tension eased. "But I know how much you like Peppy Betty," she teased.

"I love Peppy Betty," he replied, "but I love last night's Betty just as much. Got it?"

Betty's heart was so full she wanted to blurt out how much she loved him, but she stopped herself. "Got it," was all she said before leaning in to kiss him.


	13. Chapter 13

"Hello, darling, this is a surprise."

Daniel smiled at the sound of the woman's voice. "Hi, Mom, how are you?"

"I'm fine, but you don't sound so fine," Claire replied knowingly. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he answered, "It's just that yesterday would have been Betty's mom's birthday, and she was sad, and, well, it made me miss you."

"Oh, that's sweet," she said, "and how is Betty now?"

"Better, I think." He tried to sound upbeat, but Claire wasn't fooled.

"Daniel, what else is going on?" she pressed.

"Nothing, really, I guess," he said, exhaling, "I don't know, Mom, Betty's been…weird."

"Weird, how?"

"She never had any trouble talking to me before now; she would tell me everything. But lately she's been hesitant, like there's something she's not saying," Daniel explained. "She didn't even tell me it was her mom's birthday."

"Well, things are different between you now," Claire replied, "There's a lot more at stake, for you both. Maybe she just needs some time."

"Yeah, we talked about that," he agreed, "and I'm trying to be patient." He didn't want to mention the other department in which he was exercising patience. "It's just so strange for Betty not to trust me."

Claire laughed. "Oh, Daniel, she trusts you, she's just scared."

"Scared of me?" Daniel cried, his voice raising a few octaves.

"Scared of how she feels about you, yes," she answered. "You're not some random guy she met after moving to London. You're one of her closest friends. If this were not to work out, she would lose that, and so would you."

"I can't imagine losing her completely," he said, shuddering. "One thing I learned from all of this is how much I need her."

Claire wished she could be there, if for no other reason than to give him a hug.

"You won't lose her, sweetheart," she reassured him. "I have a feeling this will all work itself out. Just keep the faith."

It wasn't exactly a miracle fix, but Daniel felt better. "Thanks, Mom," he said, smiling, "I love you."

"I love you too, son," she replied.

As Daniel ended the call, he realized how good it was to hear someone say they loved him back.

* * *

Betty sat back in her chair and rubbed her neck, glad that it was nearing closing time on a Friday. She loved her job, but it could be demanding. She was grateful that she could seek out advice from Daniel whenever she stepped into unfamiliar territory.

Thinking about Daniel, she smiled and looked at the photo of them she kept on her desk. It was taken at Hilda's wedding; the day she had accepted Lindsey's job offer. She didn't realize at the time that she was also flipping the coin on her relationship with Daniel.

Interesting analogy, she told herself, remembering how she got her promotion at Mode. Just then Betty's assistant knocked on her door, shaking her from her thoughts. "There's a guy in the lobby who wants to see you, and he won't give his name, so I didn't want to bring him back here."

Betty smiled again, wondering what Daniel was up to, why he wouldn't announce himself. "It's okay, I'll go meet him."

She stood up and straightened her jacket, checked her makeup and left her office. Getting to the lobby of the building, she was stunned when she saw who was standing there.

"Matt?"

* * *

"Hi, Betty," Matt answered with a tentative smile.

She was floored. "What are you doing here?"

"I just flew in from the States. I met Tyler there," he explained, "and I wanted to see you. Since you told me not to come the last time I called, I thought I'd just show up."

"Matt, I'm not so sure-" she began, but he cut her off.

"Please, Betty, I just want a chance to talk to you. Can we go somewhere? Just for a few minutes?"

She hesitated, but then noticed that most of her staff was now watching their exchange. "Okay, but just for a little while."

As they were leaving the building, Matt suggested they go to the coffee shop he had seen on the way in, not knowing it was the one where she and Daniel would frequently meet. "Uh, the coffee's bad there," she lied, "let's go to this diner a little farther down the street."

When they had settled into a booth, Matt said, "Wow, Betty, you look great. And your new job sounds amazing."

"It is," she agreed, "And how are things with you in the Ukraine?"

"Really good," he answered. "I feel like I'm making a big difference."

"I'm sure you are." Even stunned by his presence, Betty was still supportive. "How was meeting Tyler? Did it go well?"

"Yeah, he seems like a nice guy. I can't believe all this time I didn't know I had a brother. And I really can't believe that my dad doesn't even want to know him," Matt said, shaking his head in disgust.

"Well, it's your dad's loss," she replied. "So, is that why you wanted to see me? Because I'm the one who told you about Tyler?"

"I did want to say thank you," he began, "but also, since I got your email, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and wondering if our breaking up was a mistake." As he spoke, he reached over and took her hand.

She pulled back the minute she felt his hand on hers, started to speak but Matt talked over her.

"I know it's crazy, but people make long distance relationships work all the time. And now, we're much closer geographically. Plus, there's this orphanage in Germany I've been hearing about that needs workers. Maybe I could go there, and we'd be even closer."

Betty wondered how Matt could consider abandoning a second orphanage in six months' time. Daniel was right; he was a world class flake.

While she was thinking, he had kept talking. Finally she yelled, "Matt!"

When she had his attention, she said, "There's something you should know. I'm seeing someone."

If he was surprised, upset or angry, Matt didn't show it. "I understand; it's not like we were together when you moved here. But how serious can you be with some guy you just met?"

Oh, boy, Betty thought; may as well just dive in. "It's not someone I just met," she clarified. "It's Daniel."

"Daniel? Daniel Meade?" When she nodded, Matt let out a cross between a chuckle and a grunt. "Talk about a long distance relationship. What, you fly back and forth to New York every couple of weeks?"

"You mean you really don't know?" she asked, surprised. "Tyler or Claire Meade didn't tell you?"

"I didn't see Claire Meade, and Tyler didn't talk about the other side of his family. Tell me what?"

"Daniel lives here in London."

Matt was starting to catch on. "Since when?" he asked suspiciously.

"Since I moved here," she answered.

He felt like yelling and asking what she was thinking, but he held himself in check. Then an idea dawned on him.

"You know, you told me once that Daniel and I have a lot in common," he said, leaning forward a little more. "Did it ever occur to you that you're dating him because he reminds you of me? Maybe you were just trying to find a substitute."

Betty didn't know if she should be amused or angry. Then she had a light bulb moment of her own. "Actually, Matt, you may have it the wrong way. Maybe I was with you because, at the time, Daniel wasn't available to me."

The idea repulsed him. "How can you say that to me, Betty? We had something real, something good. Can you honestly say what you have with Daniel is better? Or were you just lonely and turned to a good friend?"

Just then Betty remembered Hilda's words, _"I don't think you're worried that this thing with Daniel isn't for real. I think you worried that it is." _And she finally got it.

"You're wrong, Matt," she said, "what I have with Daniel _is_ better, and I didn't realize it until just now."

Matt watched as she kept talking, though she was speaking as much to herself as to him.

"All this time I kept telling myself I was worried that it wouldn't work out, but I was really afraid that it would. Because this is Daniel; my friend, my ex-boss, the guy I talk to about other guys, about everything, really. All this time I've been scared, but it's been staring me right in the face. _Daniel's_ been staring me right in the face. And I-"

Suddenly Betty remembered where she was, who she was with. "I'm sorry, Matt, I have to go," she told him, sliding out of the booth, "I wish you well in life, I really do. Goodbye."

And just like that she was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Thanks again for the feedback! I stole a line for Daniel directly from one of the comments._** :-)

Daniel unlocked the door to his apartment and jumped back at the sight of Betty standing in his living room. He had given her a spare key, and he had one to her apartment, but neither had used them before.

He could tell by the sight of her that Betty was riled up about something. He was tired, though, both from the work week and from worrying about where he stood with her.

"Hey," Daniel told her simply as he put down his briefcase. "What's up?"

"I just came from seeing Matt," Betty said.

"What?" For a moment he considered that, if Betty wanted to go back to Matt, he wouldn't try to stop her.

"What was he doing here," Daniel asked, even though he knew the answer.

"He wanted to get back together," she answered, adding before he could say anything, "but that's not the point."

Daniel snorted. "What is then point, then?"

"The point is that Hilda was right."

He shook his head, unable to follow her logic. "Betty, what in the hell are you talking about?" he asked wearily, shrugging off his jacket, sitting on the couch and loosening his tie.

Betty took a deep breath, hoping it hadn't taken her too long. She sat on the couch next to him.

"I kept telling myself I was afraid of fully trusting this because I was worried that it wouldn't work out. But Hilda told me I was afraid it _would_ work out, and now I get it."

When Daniel looked at her in confusion, she continued, "I've been scared because this is it, Daniel, this is the rest of my life. This is what people mean when they talk about finding the right one. I was scared to admit I was in love with you because it's _so big_. This isn't just another relationship; it's _the_ relationship. I'm not even sure how or why it happened, but I just know I'm not scared anymore."

He was so tired he wondered if he was hearing things. "What did you say?"

Betty laughed at how they had traded places. She grabbed his arms and looked him in the eyes. "I said I'm in love with you, Daniel. I love you, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to accept it."

"And you had trouble accepting it because you _don't_ want us to work out?" he asked, unsure if it was out of confusion or wariness.

"No! It's just so new to me," she explained. "I mean, I've been in love before, but this is…"

"You," he finished, truly understanding. "It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?" he asked, his tone softening as he let himself trust what she was saying.

"It is," she agreed, "but it's right. _We're_ right. All this time…" she trailed off again, shaking her head.

Daniel's eyes welled up with tears. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took her face in his hands. "You caught up."

She wiped away the tears on his face, smiling through tears of her own, and nodded. "Yeah, I caught up. Thank you for waiting."

"Anytime," he replied, smiling. He bent down to kiss her then remembered something. "Wait, what about Matt?"

"What?" she asked. "Oh, I'm not sure. I told him goodbye and left him at the diner."

"You did?" He was shocked and impressed.

"Yep," she answered, "when I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, it seemed pretty silly to be sitting around with him."

Daniel started to call her on what she just said, but decided it could wait. He chose instead to prompt her to say the other thing he badly needed to hear again. "I love you, Betty."

Betty smiled and without hesitation replied, "I love you, too."

* * *

They were lying on the couch, reveling in the new peace that existed between them.

"I can't believe it took you seeing Matt to realize you were in love with me," Daniel said.

From where her head was on his chest, Betty replied, "No, I knew I was in love with you. I just was scared. When I was talking to Matt, something clicked in my head, and I knew everything would be okay."

She poked his bicep. "Besides, I can't believe you never freaked out about this."

"Oh, I did," Daniel told her, "you just weren't around to see it."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone," Betty said, rubbing the place on his arm she had just poked.

He chuckled. "You are the only person I know who would think to say that. But I wasn't alone, exactly. I did talk to my mom."

"Hmm, we probably wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for her. " She smiled a big, goofy smile. "I love your mom."

Daniel laughed. "So do I. And I suppose I owe Hilda for whatever that was she told you."

"Um-hmm," Betty replied. "Hilda's always been good at knowing what I'm feeling, sometimes even before I do. That's probably because she reads my journal."

"Well, she can't have read your journal for the past few months," he countered.

"True, but let's face it, I've probably had latent feelings for you for a while now, maybe from the beginning," she admitted.

"Yeah, I probably did, too, come to think of it."

"Oh, come on, Daniel," she snorted in disbelief.

"No, I mean it," he said emphatically. "I never could stand the idea of you being away from me."

Betty knew that was true, so she said nothing to refute him. After a few minutes she realized he had stopped rubbing her back, and his breathing had become steady.

"Daniel?" When he didn't reply, she carefully lifted her head to look at him. Just as she suspected, he had fallen asleep. She was getting hungry, and her arm was falling asleep, but Betty didn't have the heart to wake him. "Oh, well," she whispered to herself, snuggling closer to him and closing her eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Author's note: I don't write smut/sex scenes. It's just not something I do. So, I leave it to your imaginations._** :-)

They managed to find a table at the back of the pub, ordered their beers and quietly listened to the music playing.

Betty couldn't believe they had already been dating for two months. Things had gone really well… except in the one area they hadn't gone at all. Daniel had been more than patient, and she had asked for time, but she knew him well enough to know that patience was not his strongest virtue.

And it wasn't like she didn't want to. She really, really wanted to. And they almost did, on more than occasion. Until she froze up, then they didn't.

Daniel knew Betty had reason to be cautious, so he didn't push. After all, she was the one woman who knew about all the other women. And there had been a _lot_ of other women. Obviously she trusted him as a friend, and he seemed to be doing everything right in the dating department, but part of him wondered if she would ever trust him enough to make that final leap.

Betty knew Daniel had changed. He wasn't the manslut that she first met. And the kissing and the touching wasn't awkward. But when he started tugging at the buttons of her blouse that night on his couch, she was struck with fear. Because while he was this wonderful, caring, funny best friend of a boyfriend, he was still Daniel Meade: hot, worldly Daniel Meade who probably had slept with more women in one single night than the entire number of men she had slept with in her life.

What if she could never find a way to trust that she was good enough? Where would that leave them?

Betty was pulled away from her thoughts by the sound of Daniel's voice and his hand on her back. "Hey, wanna dance?"

They had gone to a movie that was so sad she had cried; then she spilled soda on her new boots. The work week had been hell, and what was supposed to be a fun Saturday night had taken a turn towards maudlin.

She could tell he was trying to change the mood, and she smiled at how well he knew her. It was something that kept surprising her. All that time she thought she was the only listening. She wasn't.

"I'd love to," she answered, smiling as he led her to the dance floor. He held her close, swaying gently to the soft, slow music.

Betty closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder, relishing the feel of his arms around her. She really did love him. Daniel Meade, once the needy, emotionally clueless Manwhore to the Stars, was now strong, confident; comfortable in his own skin. And comfortable with being with her. More than comfortable: he wanted to be here, in London, with her. He wanted _her_.

And in a split second Betty knew. She knew that this man – who praised her glitter period, who put on an alternative fashion show because she once wore t-shirts to pool parties, who punched Matt to defend her honor, who insisted that she was beautiful and who shielded her against flying burritos – would never let her feel less than cherished. She could trust him with her mind, her heart, and her body.

She moved her head up to whisper in his ear. "Daniel?"

"Hmm?" he asked, his eyes still closed as he planted a kiss on her head.

"Take me home."

Daniel jerked his head back to look her. Was she sick? Was she tired? Was she sick and tired of being here with him?

Then he looked in her eyes, and he knew. "You sure?" he asked.

When she replied by kissing him, hard, Daniel threw some money on the table to cover their beers and rushed her out the door.

**Coming next: The End of the Beginning**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note: **This section will be a series of vignettes that will take Betty and Daniel through the first year of their relationship, which is where our Detty journey will end. Thanks again for all of the wonderful feedback. Y'all are great!_

**The End of the Beginning**

**Oliver**

Betty emerged onto the street from the tube exit and punched in Daniel's number. "Hey! I'm on my way. Which restaurant did you choose?"

"Actually, plans have changed," Daniel replied. "Can you meet me in the park over by your place? I did something that's going to surprise you."

"You have a surprise for me?" she asked excitedly.

"No, I said I _did_ something that will surprise you," he answered. "I'm on a bench near the front."

Betty was intrigued. "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

When she arrived at the park, she spied Daniel on the bench, just as he said. She caught his eye and waved. As he waved back, she noticed he was holding something in his hand. Then she noticed a white, furry dog emerge from behind his legs, attached to the leash he was holding.

"Daniel!" she exclaimed as she approached him. "Whose dog is this?"

"It's, ah, mine," he said. The animal approached Betty, sniffed her outstretched hand then began licking it.

"Oh, great," Daniel said, "10 seconds and he already likes you better than me."

"I don't understand," Betty said, petting the dog, "when did you decide you wanted a dog?"

"Well, I was walking back from that photo shoot we had today, and there was this adoption drive going on here in the park," he explained. "I stopped to look around, and when I laid eyes on this guy, I just decided he was supposed to be mine."

"Aww," she replied, already in love with the dog herself, "does he have a name?"

"He didn't, but I like Oliver," Daniel answered.

"Oliver?"

"Yeah, it seems kind of British, like Oliver Twist," he said, once again using the bad accent.

Betty gave him a stern look. "The dog is one thing, Daniel, but the accent…"

"Okay, okay," he acquiesced. "No accent." He watched as Oliver bumped his nose first against Betty's leg, then his own, then sat down between them. "You know, we always had dogs when Alex and I were boys, and I've missed that. I think it will be fun having Oliver around."

Betty tried to picture Daniel as a boy, carousing with the family dog, probably getting more affection and attention from the pet than he got from his parents. She smiled at him. "Yeah, it will be fun." Looking down she said, "Welcome to the family, Oliver Meade."

As Daniel reached down to pet him, she asked, "Have you gotten any supplies yet?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't have time before we were supposed to meet."

"Well, we should go before the stores close," she said, "we'll need two of everything, for the nights when you two sleep over at my place. And we should get him a really cool collar!"

Daniel took her hand as they stood up and began walking. "Okay, but nothing girly."

They headed for the nearest pet store, discussing doggie fashion, with Oliver in stride.

* * *

**Meade Family Dinner**

Daniel perused then menu, then looked over at Betty. "Is this the place that has the chicken I liked?"

"No, this is the place that has the really good burgers," she answered, without taking her eyes off of her own menu.

"Oh, right," he said, then after a second, "Maybe I'll try the fish."

"Get the burger," she replied in a hurry. When he gave her a confused look she said, sheepishly, "I want a salad, but I also want some of your fries."

"Okay, burger it is," he agreed. They put down their menus. Betty slid her arm around his and leaned on his shoulder as they both looked at their guests, who were all staring at them.

"Oh, my god, it's bizarre," Alexis said. "They act just like they used to, only now they're having sex."

"Hey!" Betty screamed as Daniel screamed. "Alexis!"

"Maybe try not to be so crude, sweetheart," Claire told her daughter. Then she leaned over and said in a stage whisper, "You know she calls him honey? Isn't that sweet?"

"Mom!" Daniel cried. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tyler laughing. "You think this is funny?"

"It is, a little," Tyler replied. "Hey, I thought something was going on between you two when I first came to Mode."

"There was always something going on between them," Alexis said, "only without the sex."

"Any-way," Betty said in an exaggerated manner to change the subject, "I can't wait to see the show tonight. It's so great to have you all here for a visit!"

"I bet it is," Claire replied sarcastically.

* * *

The rest of the dinner went on without incident. Tyler and Daniel waited for the check while the women went to the ladies' room.

As Betty was reapplying her lipstick, Alexis came to the sink next to her. "You know, Betty, I like to give Daniel a hard time, but I'm really glad he has you," she said, "He's been through a lot, and you make him happy. I can tell."

Betty smiled at her. "Thank you. He makes me happy, too. I'm not sure how I would have survived these last few months without him."

"Well, you'll never have to worry about that," Claire said as she approached them, "Daniel is very loyal, and he's very in love with you."

"He is, isn't he?" Betty grinned. As they exited, Betty looked over her shoulder and gave Alexis a devilish grin. "And by the way, there is sex. Lots and lots of sex. Really good sex, too."

Standing behind her daughter, Claire looked shocked at first, then amused. Alexis gave a hearty laugh and put her arm around Betty's shoulder. "I like having you in the family, kid."

From the front of the restaurant, Daniel and Tyler watched the women laughing and talking as they made their way to them. Daniel snorted, "What do you think they talk about in there that makes them so silly?"

"No idea, man," Tyler replied, patting his brother on the back.

* * *

**Sunday Morning**

Daniel and Oliver stepped into Betty's apartment, dripping wet. She greeted Daniel with a kiss and towels and took the bag of scones from him. After he had dried off, he joined her on the couch, where they sat side-by-side sipping their coffee and powering up their laptops.

"So, who do you think will be on Skype first?" Daniel asked her between bites of scones.

"Dad," Betty replied, "your mom has that charity luncheon today."

"True, but she might want to see us before the lunch," he ventured.

"Eh, I doubt it." They looked at each other challengingly. "Winner buys dinner?" he asked.

"Deal," she agreed, shaking his outstretched hand.

"Hey, I got an email from Gio!" Betty exclaimed a few minutes later.

Daniel looked at her in shock. "And you sound so excited about that because?"

She gave him a "whatever" look and replied, "Because, the last time I saw him he said there was only one guy for me, who of course was Henry.

"I sent him an email right before I left for London, telling him that I had a chance to get back together with Henry and didn't take it. He always acts likes he knows me so well, I just wanted to rub his nose in the fact that he was wrong."

Daniel arched his eyebrow and went back to his scone while Betty read the email aloud, "_'Hey, B, sorry I'm just now writing you back, but I've been on my honeymoon. Thanks for the wedding present, too; my wife will send the formal thank you card later.'_"

"This is thrilling," Daniel murmured. She smacked him on the arm and kept reading, "_'About your news, congrats on the job in London. I know you'll be great. It's just too bad you're moving somewhere that has such crappy food.'_" Betty glanced over at Daniel, "He was always such a food snob," then continued, "_'And as for the other news, I'm not surprised you didn't get back together with Egg Salad; that guy never was good enough for you. When I said there was only one guy for you, I actually meant Daniel.'_"

Daniel's eyes popped open wide as he glanced over Betty's shoulder at the email. "What?" Betty yelled. "Keep reading," he told her.

"_'No matter who you were in a relationship with, Daniel was the guy who was always around. You would drop everything for him. Hey, he even got me fired because you said I was rude.'_"

"I can't believe this," Betty exclaimed. "He kind of has a point," Daniel said, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"_'I'm surprised you took a job that put an ocean between you two,'_" she read on, "_'I hope you can handle it. By the way, I heard Daniel left Mode; what's that about? Anyway, keep in touch when you can. Gio.'_"

"Wow, I guess you have to write him back and tell him he was right again," Daniel said, sipping his coffee with a triumphant look on his face.

Betty cut her eyes at him, "Enjoy this too much, and you won't be enjoying anything else today."

Getting her point loud and clear, he returned to the work on his laptop. There was no sound but the clicking of their fingers on the keyboards for a while, until suddenly Betty's computer beeped that she had a Skype request.

"Who would be online at this time of morning?" she wondered, then said, "Amanda!" as she turned on the video chat device.

"Hey, Betty!" Amanda yelled into the camera.

"Amanda?" Daniel said as he peered over Betty's shoulder, "What are you doing up? It's barely 4 a.m. there."

"Hey, Daniel. Yeah, I haven't gone to bed yet," she explained. "I've totally been partying with some of the actors from my dad's soap opera."

"Well, I've never been drunk-Skyped before, so this is a first," Betty noted.

"C'mon, Betty, I just wanted to see your pretty brown face," Amanda said, "And your really white one, Daniel."

He ignored her comment and asked, "So, how is your stylist business going?"

"It's totally great. I'm working for some of the other stars on my dad's show, and one of them might be getting a prime-time job. I'm gonna rock prime time." Amanda went to rest her heard on the side of the couch, but over-exaggerated her movement and almost knocked over the lamp on the end table. After she caught the lamp, she burst out laughing.

"Mandy, keep it down!" they heard Marc yell from his bedroom.

"Geez, Mr. Relationship is getting so boring," Amanda remarked. "I swear we haven't been out in weeks. So, what are you two kids up to?"

"Just working and taking care of Oliver," Betty answered.

"Well, we have some fun," Daniel noted with a smile.

"I bet," Amanda said, "You two getting all nasty and sweaty?"

"Amanda!" Betty yelled, "Inappropriate!"

"Oh, come on, Betty, we've all seen each other naked," noted Amanda. "As a matter of fact," she started unbuttoning her blouse…

"Okay, Amanda, gotta go!" Betty said as she shut off the camera. She closed her eyes for a second, trying to erase what just happened.

"I just love our quiet Sunday mornings," Daniel said sarcastically. Then his head popped back up as he had another thought. "Wait a minute, how is it that you and Amanda have seen each other naked?"

Betty's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "She used to try and get in the shower with me when we lived together."

"Really?" he asked. "Why?"

"With Amanda, who knows," Betty answered. As she got up to pour herself another cup of coffee, Daniel shrugged that mental image out of his head and got back to work.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note: **So I've been told that it's really difficult to adopt a dog in the UK. That's the great thing about fanfiction, I can pretend it's not! Besides, I've grown fond of Oliver. _

_The subtitle for the first part is inspired by a Keith Urban song. Thanks again for reading and for the feedback._

* * *

**The Hard Way**

"I can't believe you think I care more about my job than you!" Betty yelled, crossing the length of Daniel's living room.

"I didn't say that!" Daniel yelled back, watching as she began zipping up her boots, "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," she said simply, zipping up the second boot and grabbing her purse as she stood up.

"Don't you think we should finish talking about this?" he asked, clearly agitated.

"What else is there to talk about?" she sneered. "If I care so much about my job, then I don't need to be here."

"Betty-" he began, but she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

Daniel stood in the same spot for a moment, hands on his hips, trying to calm down. He had half a mind to follow her back to her place. He glanced over at Oliver, who cowered under the living room table. "C'mon boy," Daniel called to him, "let's go for a walk." He put Oliver on his leash and left the building, heading in the opposite direction of Betty's apartment.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Daniel walked back into his apartment and was surprised to see Betty sitting in his armchair. He unleashed Oliver and sat down on the couch.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, noticing that she had been crying.

"About 10 minutes," she replied. "I turned around after a few blocks."

Daniel nodded but said nothing.

"I'm sorry I left," she told him.

He rubbed his forehead and let out a breath. "I'm sorry you thought I was attacking you," he said, "I only suggested taking a few days off and going to Paris because I thought you could use a break."

"I know, and I know I overreacted," Betty said. "It's just, I'm working so hard to get this first issue out, and there is so much riding on this. If I took a long weekend now, it could look like I'm not taking my responsibilities seriously."

Daniel highly doubted that anyone at Dunne Publishing would question Betty's work ethic, but he knew better than to say that. What he did say was, "I get that, Betty, but why didn't you just tell me that, instead of walking out?"

"I don't know," she confessed, "Whenever we'd fight at Mode, one of us always walked out and then we'd solve things when we were calmer."

"That's true," he agreed, "but this isn't Mode, and we can't run away from each other. What are you going to do when we live together?"

"When we live together?" Betty questioned, surprised.

"Yes. At some point we're going to live together, aren't we?" Daniel asked as if the answer was obvious.

She considered it for a moment then nodded her head. "Yeah, I suppose."

He reached over and took her hand. "Betty, I know how much this job means to you, and I would never try to mess this up for you. I'm sorry if it seemed that's what I was doing."

"I know you were just trying to do something nice for me, for us." She gave his hand a squeeze, then got up and sat in his lap. "I'm sorry, too, for freaking out, and for running instead of staying and talking it out."

"You know that nothing is more important to me than you, don't you?" she asked.

Part of Daniel wanted to question that, but looking in her eyes, he saw the truth. "Yeah," he answered.

She closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his. "I've always hated it when we fight."

"Me, too," he said. After a moment Daniel moved his head back to make eye contact with her. "But hey, there is something different now that makes fighting not so bad."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Make-up sex," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Ah, make-up sex," she replied, smiling. "See, I always knew you were smart."

Betty let out a laugh as he grabbed her waist and pulled her down on the couch.

* * *

**The Magazine Launch**

Daniel sat with his feet propped up, silently reading. Betty alternated between nervous pacing and sitting on the couch, watching him and wringing her hands.

"If you-" she began but was silenced by his, "Shh!"

"Daniel, I just-" she tried again, but he held up his finger and gave her a pointed glare.

Finally, he turned the last page of the magazine. He looked at the cover again, sat it in his lap and looked up at her.

"It's great, Betty," Daniel told her, smiling broadly. "It's fantastic!"

"You really think so?" she asked, obviously pleased.

"Yes, I do!" he said emphatically. "You should be so proud of yourself."

She grabbed his hands and squealed, jumping up and down from her seated position on the couch. "I'm so glad you like it. Now I just hope it sells."

"It will," he reassured her, "You have a hit on your hands, I promise you."

"Thank you," she smiled, "Now we have to get ready for the launch party. I get the shower first, okay?"

"Of course," he answered, but held on to her hand as she moved to get up. "Wait a second, there's something I want to give you first."

She sat back down and gave him a quizzical look as he opened his briefcase and pulled out a wrapped box.

"Daniel, you shouldn't have," she told him.

"I shouldn't get my girlfriend a present to commemorate the biggest professional moment of her life?" he asked sarcastically.

"Okay, you totally should have," she agreed, grinning as she ripped open the packaging. Underneath was a black velvet box. Betty gave Daniel a quick glance before she opened it. When she did, she saw a strand of pearls and matching earrings.

"I know how much you love the necklace your mother gave you; you wear it just about every day," he explained, "But _my_ mother always said that every fashionable woman should have a real strand of pearls, so I thought you might like this for special occasions."

"Daniel," she breathed, "it's so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he answered, heartened by the fact that she no longer looked away when he told her that. "I love you, Betty. Congratulations."

In that moment, Betty no longer cared how many copies of the magazine were sold, or that she was now officially running behind schedule. "I love you, too, Daniel, so much," she told him, leaning over to kiss him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said between kisses. Patting her butt, he said, "Now, come on, Editor in Chief; go get ready for your launch party!"

She laughed and made her way to her bedroom, thinking how nice the pearls would look with the dress she was wearing to the party.


	18. Chapter 18

**Happy Thanksgiving**

"I'm sorry I can't be there for Thanksgiving, Papi," Betty told her father as she made her way home.

"I know you have to work, mija," Ignacio said. "I'm just sorry that Hilda can't travel because of the pregnancy."

"No, I know it's important for Hilda to take care of herself, and the baby," she said. "I'm just going to miss you all so much."

"We'll miss you, too, sweetheart."

Betty said goodbye to her father, turning off her cell phone with a sigh. She turned the key into her apartment door, opened it and turned on the light.

"Surprise!"

Betty jumped back at the sight of her father, Hilda, Bobby and Justin. Ignacio rushed to her, taking her in his arms.

"Papi! What are you doing here?" She looked to her sister as Ignacio released her. "Hilda, I thought you couldn't travel."

Hilda patted her stomach, "No, we're fine." Betty gave her sister a hug. "That was just an excuse Daniel thought of so we could surprise you," Hilda said, glancing over behind Justin.

Betty hadn't seen Daniel standing there before. He was grinning, taking in her reaction.

After she finished greeting her family, she came over to him. "I can't believe you brought my family here for Thanksgiving!" she said, throwing her arms around him. "Thank you!"

"Don't thank me just yet," he told her, "my family's coming, too. Are you ready for a big, combined, British Thanksgiving?"

Betty understood what it meant for them to play host to both of their families, and what a risk Daniel took in organizing it without asking her. "I think it's going to be wonderful," she assured him, "but my apartment is so small, will everyone fit?"

"Yeah, we should have it at my place," he answered. "Big kitchen, remember?"

She smiled. "And the big, fancy TV that can catch the American football games, right?"

"Right," he agreed, making sure her father wasn't looking before giving her a quick kiss.

* * *

Betty took her family out to dinner while Daniel picked his up from the airport. As they walked back to the hotel where they were staying, Hilda pulled her sister aside. "It was so sweet of Daniel to bring us here, so we can all be together for the holiday."

"It was," Betty agreed.

"You know, I saw him go into Papi's hotel room earlier today. He must have had something important to talk to him about."

"Hilda," she warned, "Don't go there."

"What?" Hilda protested, "Would it be so bad if Daniel was asking Papi for his blessing?"

"No, it wouldn't," Betty admitted, "but we haven't been dating that long, and we've taken things slowly. I don't think Daniel's ready to get married again so soon."

"Please, Betty, the man flew in both of your families to share a holiday together. He is serious," Hilda finished with a wag of her finger.

Betty knew her sister had a point, but it was too much to process at the moment. "Hilda, can we please just focus on having a nice Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, yeah, but don't be surprised if you get a little bling with your turkey," Hilda answered. Betty cast a glance at her father, wondering what it was he and Daniel had talked about.

* * *

The next day they were all gathered in Daniel's apartment. Ignacio, Betty and Hilda had command of the kitchen, with Claire offering to help where she could. Daniel, Tyler, Alexis and Bobby stayed out of the way and watched TV while DJ helped Justin set the table, which was Daniel's dining room table with a card table added on to make room for everyone.

Finally the dinner was finished. They gathered around the tables, and Ignacio brought out the turkey. Before carving it, he turned to Daniel. "You're the host, Daniel, why don't you give a toast."

Hilda looked over at Betty, holding up her left hand and pointing at her ring finger. Betty gave her a dirty look and motioned for Hilda to put her hand down.

If Daniel saw any of the exchange, he didn't acknowledge it. He stood up and held his glass of wine in front of him. Clearing his throat, he began, "I know I can speak for Betty when I say thank you for joining us for our first ex-patriot Thanksgiving, otherwise known in London as Thursday." Everyone chuckled.

"I am so grateful that we can all be here together. Even though it's technically not a holiday here, I'm especially glad it's Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for: our health, our careers, our families, including our newest members," Daniel glanced first at Tyler then at Hilda, who put a protective hand on her stomach. He looked at Betty, who was beaming up at him.

"I am most thankful for love," he continued, "not only the love that compelled me to move across an ocean, but for the love that binds us all together. I hope this is just the first Suarez-Meade holiday we celebrate together. Cheers."

After everyone had cheered and clinked their glasses together, Daniel set down and Ignacio stood to carve the turkey. Not caring who saw, Betty leaned over and kissed Daniel. "I love you," she whispered. "Happy Thanksgiving, Betty," he whispered back.

* * *

**Night and Day**

Betty turned off the light in the bathroom and got into bed. Turning on her side, she stared at Daniel, who was reading a book on the history of the Tudors.

After a minute, Daniel felt her eyes on him. Turning his face to her, he asked, "What?"

"I was just trying to decide something," she answered.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Decide what?"

"Well, I was trying to decide if I should encourage your pursuit of knowledge, and let you keep reading," she said, giving him what she thought was her sexiest look, "or if I should jump you."

Daniel's jaw dropped and his eyes popped open. "Wow!" he exclaimed, closing the book. "Did you, Betty Suarez, just say you're going to jump me?"

"Um-hmm," she answered, smiling.

They looked at each other for a few moments before he asked, "Well?"

"Well what?" she asked back.

"Are you going to jump me?"

"I, uh, huh," Betty stammered. Clearly she had thought he would take the lead, and was surprised when he didn't.

Daniel watched her for several more seconds, then raised his eyebrows as if to say "too bad" and went back to reading his book.

Betty knew he was challenging her. She hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the book from his hands, threw it on the floor and straddled him.

He laughed outright and said, "That's what I'm talking about," as Betty began kissing his chest.

"Daniel," she said, looking up at him, "shut up."

Daniel stifled back another laugh and did as he was told.

* * *

The next morning, Betty rolled over as she woke up to see Daniel watching her. "What are you doing?" she asked as she reached out to put her arm around him.

"Just laying here, looking at you," he answered, "I didn't feel like getting up yet."

"Well, it's Saturday, so you don't have to get up," she told him, snuggling in closer.

"But I do have to; Oliver needs a walk," he replied.

Betty popped her head up. "I'll walk him," she offered.

"No, you don't have to do that," Daniel said, pushing back the sheets.

"I want to," she insisted, leaning him back and throwing the sheets over him again. "Let me do something for you for a change."

"You always do things for me," he said, "besides, I feel like I have to catch up for all those years of you bringing me bagels and coffee, and lint rolling me, and basically keeping me functioning."

"It's not like I'm keeping score, Daniel," Betty told him, "and that was me doing things for my boss. This is me doing something for the man I love."

He smiled at her as she sat up. "Move in with me."

"What?" she asked, turning back to look at him.

"Move in with me," he repeated. "Your lease is going to be up in a few months. My place is bigger, and it's closer to your job."

"Okay," she answered.

"Or if you want, we can look for a new place together. Wait, what?" he asked.

"I said okay," she repeated, smiling at his dumbfounded look. "What, you expected me to put up a fight?"

"Well, yeah," Daniel admitted.

"Yeah, I'm kind of surprised, too," she said, "but I want to be with you, and it feels right, so why fight it?"

"You're something else, Betty Suarez," he said, "and I'm really glad you're mine."

As they leaned in to kiss, they heard Oliver whimpering and scratching at the door. They laughed, and Betty gave Daniel a quick kiss before getting up. "Coming, Oliver!" she yelled.


	19. Chapter 19

**Christmas in New York**

Betty and Daniel each got time off from their jobs and returned to New York for Christmas and New Year's. Tyler chose to spend the holiday with his adoptive mother in South Dakota since he spent Thanksgiving with the Meades, so Claire was invited to join Daniel at the Suarez house for Christmas.

After everyone opened their presents and Ignacio began preparing lunch, Hilda motioned for Betty to join her in the salon. When they were alone, Hilda said, "So, let's see it!"

"See what?" Betty asked, confused.

"The ring, silly!" her sister exclaimed. "Surely Daniel has proposed by now?"

Betty sighed. "No, he hasn't, and I don't think he plans to anytime soon."

"You're telling me that little twit didn't give you a ring for Christmas," she replied with attitude, "after talking to Papi way back at Thanksgiving?"

"Hilda, are you sure that Daniel talked to Dad about us getting married?" When she didn't reply, Betty couldn't tell if she was trying to hide something or if she really didn't know. So she pinched her sister and said threateningly, "Hilda…"

"Ow!" Hilda yelled, rubbing her arm where Betty pinched her. "That's not nice to do to a pregnant woman." When Betty didn't apologize, but instead kept staring at her, she acquiesced, "Okay, I don't know what Daniel and Papi talked about. I tried to get it out of Papi more than once, but he wouldn't tell me."

"Oh, Hilda!" Betty groaned, "Please just drop this, okay?"

"All right!" she agreed before changing her tone. "There is something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

Hilda placed a hand on her belly, which had grown since Betty had seen her only a month ago. "Bobby and I have talked about it, and if this baby is a girl, we want to name her Rosa, after Mom."

Betty felt a swell of emotion. "I think that's wonderful," she said.

"Do you?" her sister asked. "Because I was afraid maybe you'd want to save the name for your daughter someday."

"No, no," Betty insisted. "Who knows when I'll be a mother, or if I'll even have a little girl." She put an arm around Hilda. "It's right that you and Bobby use the name."

Hilda gave her a hug. "Thank you, Betty. That means so much to me."

They broke the embrace when they heard a knock on the wall. Daniel was standing in the doorway. "Your dad's looking for you," he told them, "he's ready to serve lunch."

As they made their way out of the salon, Daniel tugged on Betty's arm and asked if everything was all right.

"Everything's fine," she answered, giving him a look he couldn't quite figure out, "just girl talk."

* * *

The day after Christmas they did a little shopping and had lunch with Claire. Daniel wanted to drop by the Meade Building and check on things, so Betty accompanied him and caught up with Marc and her other friends while he spoke to Wilhelmina. She was surprised when Mode's new sole editor-in-chief complimented her on the magazine she was running.

Betty noted this to Daniel as they entered the elevator. "Why shouldn't she compliment you?" he asked, "The magazine is great, and it's selling well."

"I know, but it's always weird to hear Wilhelmina say something nice," she replied.

"True," he agreed.

As they walked out of the building, Betty glanced over at Daniel and asked, "Do you miss your old job?"

Daniel knew there was a lot of hidden meaning in the question, but he was able to answer honestly, "Not really. I do miss some of the perks, but it has felt good knowing I'm earning my own way at the agency."

She seemed satisfied with the answer but was quiet for the rest of the night.

* * *

Although he thought he would be uncomfortable sleeping with Betty in her old bed at the Suarez house, jet lag has ensured that Daniel slept peacefully every night since they arrived. So he was none too thrilled to feel Betty shaking him awake the morning of December 27, particularly when he opened his eyes and realized it was still dark outside.

"Daniel, wake up," she continued to whisper.

"What is it?" he asked, hoping it wasn't an emergency. "What time is it?"

"It's 4:40," she answered. When he gave her a confused look, she continued, "in the morning. Come on, get up."

"Why on earth would I want to do that?"

"Because I want you to come somewhere with me."

"We can't leave the house, we'll wake up your father," he suggested.

"Papi never once woke up when Hilda or I snuck out of this house," she retorted. "Daniel, please, do this for me."

He realized he wouldn't win. "Okay, but I don't have to shower, right?"

She smiled in victory and told him no, then quickly added, "But brush your teeth."

* * *

As they walked together, he turned to her and asked, "So just how many times did you sneak out of the house?"

She laughed, "Not nearly as many as Hilda. It was mostly when I was seeing Henry and trying to keep it a secret."

He didn't like to think about Henry, and he especially didn't like to think about Betty having sex with Henry. "Oh, that."

"Yeah, that," Betty echoed, then stopped walking. Looking up, Daniel realized they had reached the Brooklyn Bridge. Giving her a knowing look, he squeezed her hand as they made their way down the bridge and picked a spot to stop.

Daniel stood behind Betty and wrapped his arms around her as they watched the first glimmer of sunlight come through the bottoms of the buildings in the City. "Feeling nostalgic?" he asked.

"A little," she answered, "but it's more than that." She didn't finish the thought, so he waited patiently.

Finally, she moved out of his arms and turned to face him. He could see she was serious, and it made him uneasy.

She said, "When I saw you at Mode yesterday, it made me think about everything you gave up to be with me in London, and how it must have hurt you when I left like I did."

"Betty, we've talked about this," he assured her, "it doesn't matter now. I told you I don't regret leaving Mode."

"But it's more than that, Daniel," she replied, tears forming in her eyes. "I didn't realize how you felt, or even how I felt, and I just accepted a job across an ocean and didn't tell you. I'm so sorry I did that to you."

"It's like you just said, you didn't know." He brushed a tear off of her cheek, confused about why she was so upset. "Honey, where is this coming from?"

"I know we've talked about this, and that logically I have nothing to feel guilty about," she explained, "but yesterday it hit me, really hit me for the first time, how it must have _felt_ to you."

"I can't imagine you deciding one day that you were moving thousands of miles away from me," she continued, "It would kill me, Daniel, and I'm so, so sorry that I hurt you like that."

He pulled her into his arms again. "Shh," he whispered as he rocked her, "It's okay. It all turned out for the best, didn't it?" He knew she was being a little irrational, but there was an irrational part of him that felt better for hearing her apology.

After a few minutes she pulled back. "I guess I must seem like a freak," she told him with a small smile, "hauling you out of bed to apologize for something I didn't know I did almost a year ago."

He chuckled. "Maybe, but I'm glad you did." Glancing up he noticed the sun was reaching higher into the sky. He was struck with the beauty of the moment and turned back to look at her.

"I wasn't planning on doing this now," he murmured, as much to himself as to her.

"Doing what?" she asked.

"I don't even have the ring on me; it's back in my suitcase at your dad's."

Her eyes grew wide. "Daniel?"

He gave her a long look. "I know you're nowhere near ready to get married," he said, "The magazine should really be up and running for at least a year before you get distracted by wedding plans and take time off for a honeymoon."

"Daniel…" she tried to speak but he kept talking over her.

"But I just wanted you to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you go to Timbuktu, I want to come with you, always. I want to have children with you, and I want to sit in rocking chairs with you and watch our grandchildren playing in the yard. That's what _I_ want."

He hesitated for a second. When she didn't try to speak again, he got down on one knee. Taking her hand, he said, "Betty Suarez, you are the best friend I've ever had. You're the most beautiful person I've ever known, and you are the love of my life. So, at some point in the not-so-distant future, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Betty laughed at the caveat thrown in, but quickly stopped when she saw how anxious he was. "Yes, Daniel," she answered with a wide grin, "I will marry you."

He let out the breath he had been holding. "Yes?" he asked, needing confirmation.

"Yes!" she yelled. He stood up quickly and scooped her up in his arms, turning her around. Then he put her down and they kissed as the sun rose above the clouds.

* * *

Later that day, after he had officially placed the ring on her finger and their families had gathered to celebrate, Betty went to her father. "Papi, did Daniel ask for your blessing while you were in London for Thanksgiving?"

Her father nodded, "Yes, and thank god he finally asked you, because now I can get Hilda off my back!"

Betty laughed then told him, "I love you."

"I love you, too, mija," Ignacio answered, "and I know you and Daniel will be very happy. Like I told him in London, he is the only man in your life who has stuck around through the good times and bad, and the only one who ever put your needs above his own. I would not have given my blessing if I didn't trust him with your heart."

She fought back tears for the umpteenth time that day. "Oh, Papi, thank you," she said as she hugged her father. "I love him so much."

Daniel had been walking toward Betty and Ignacio when he overheard her last sentence. Smiling, he quietly turned back around and left them alone.

* * *

They decided to ring in the New Year with family, as they had to leave for London the next day. Bobby and Hilda threw a small party at their apartment, and invited Amanda and Marc as well as a few other friends.

Daniel lost track of Betty during the party. He found her alone in the master bedroom, holding a framed photo of her mother. He walked in and sat down next to her on the bed.

"I wish Mom could have known you," she told him, "she would have loved you."

"You think so?" he asked.

"Yeah, she would appreciate how kind you are, and you totally would have charmed her," she said with a teasing smile.

"Hey, you two weren't planning to get freaky on my bed, were you?" asked Hilda as she walked in the room.

"No, Hilda," Betty answered, holding up the photo of their mother as she stood.

"Betty said your mom would have loved me," Daniel told her, to which Hilda nodded. "Do you think she would love me more than Bobby?" he asked teasingly.

"Oh, she knew Bobby," Hilda replied, "and she definitely did not love him."

"Well, he is more mature now," Betty said kindly, "I'm sure Mom would love him as much as Dad does now."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure you need to get out there and blind everyone with that ring!" her sister answered. "By the way, Daniel, what took you so long to propose, anyway?"

"Hilda…" Betty warned.

"It's okay," Daniel replied. "I kept waiting for what I thought would be the perfect moment," he explained, giving Betty a smile, "but the perfect moment ended up finding me."

"Okay," Hilda said, clearly unimpressed. "You two get back out to the party before I have to change the sheets in here."

"Gross!" Betty spewed as Daniel led her out of the room. "Why does everyone comment on our sex life?" she asked him.

"Just jealous, babe," was his reply.


	20. Chapter 20

**What Doesn't Kill You**

It was a regular Wednesday afternoon when Daniel's cell phone blared out the ring tone set for Betty.

"Let me guess," he said by way of greeting, "you can't stop thinking about me and you're hoping for a little afternoon delight."

"You wish," was her reply. "I'm actually calling to let you know I'm headed home."

Betty going home in the middle of the day instantly put him on alert. "Are you not feeling well?"

"No, I'm not," she answered. "I've had a headache since I woke up, and I started having really awful cramps about an hour ago."

Daniel turned up his nose. "Eww, that's a little too much information."

"Hey, you were the one who wanted me to open up, share everything with you," she teased. "Anyway, I feel too lousy to get any work done so I'm leaving."

"I'm sorry, baby," he replied sympathetically, "Is there anything I can do or get you?"

"No, I'm just going to take some pain pills and crawl into bed."

"Okay, I'll come check on you when I get done here," he told her, "Call me if you need anything before then."

She thanked him and said goodbye. Daniel made a mental note to pick up some flowers for her after work.

* * *

He managed to wrap things up at the office about 45 minutes early, and then picked up flowers and egg drop soup on his way to Betty's apartment.

The living room was dark when he let himself in. He quietly put his purchases on the dining room table and made his way into the bedroom. Betty was still asleep. He sat down on the bed by her and gently shook her arm until she awoke.

"Hey, sorry to wake you," he said quietly, "but you should probably get up if you're ever going to sleep tonight."

"Mm-hmm, you're right," she mumbled, but didn't move.

"You feeling any better?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"I think so," she said and attempted to stretch. When she moved her body, a searing pain shot through her abdomen and she cried out in pain.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked, panicked at the sound of her cry. Betty sat up slightly, causing the sheets to fall away. "Oh, my god," he said, as they both looked down at a huge stain of blood.

"Daniel, what's happening?" Betty asked, terrified.

He didn't answer the question, only said, "I'm calling an ambulance."

* * *

The doctor in the emergency room examined her, then said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Suarez, but it appears you have had a miscarriage."

Daniel look at Betty, stunned. She looked back at him in equal disbelief. "What?" she asked the doctor, "That can't be; I'm not pregnant. I told the nurse who admitted me that I had a period last month."

"Was it lighter than normal?" he asked.

"Now that I think about it, maybe," she answered.

"It's not unusual for women to bleed slightly in the first few months of pregnancy," the doctor explained. "Based on the information you've given me and my exam of you, I believe you were between six and seven weeks pregnant."

"And now it's gone," Daniel muttered, causing both Betty and the doctor to remember his presence in the room.

"I am sorry, Ms. Suarez," the doctor repeated, "perhaps it will be easier considering you didn't know you were pregnant, but you have had a miscarriage."

Betty looked at Daniel, "I didn't know." He nodded his head, took her hand in his. "What now?" he asked the doctor. "Is there anything we need to do?"

"I don't think a DNC will be necessary," he answered, "I do want to check your blood level to see if you're anemic. If so, we'll send you home with some iron pills."

After the doctor left, Betty placed a hand on her belly, where just hours ago she had been in excruciating pain. "How could I not know I was pregnant?"

"It was early, and you had your period," Daniel answered, "You didn't have morning sickness or anything."

"No," she shook her head. "I had no idea."

Slowly, Betty turned her face to him. "Daniel, we had a baby."

"Yeah," he said, his eyes watering as he looked at the innocent, pain-filled expression on her face.

"I'm so sorry," she told him as her tears began to flow.

"I'm sorry, too," he replied, putting his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

* * *

When the nurse came to draw blood, Daniel excused himself. He walked down the hallway, inhaling big gulps of air. He briefly thought of calling Hilda, or his mother, but he wasn't sure if Betty wanted them to know. But if he were going to be any help to Betty, right now he needed somebody.

Reaching for his phone, he dialed the only other person he could think of. "Christina? It's Daniel. Something's happened, and we need your help."

* * *

He returned to the room just as the doctor was walking in. "You are slightly anemic, so I'm having the nurse get some iron pills for you. Other than that, you might experience some additional cramping and bleeding. Just take it easy for the next few days, and you'll be fine."

Daniel thanked him as he left. Betty was staring at the ceiling. He noticed how pale she was. "Hey," he said as he walked over and put his hand on her leg, "at least we can get out of here soon."

She only nodded in reply.

"I'll take you back to my place," he said, avoiding the reason why he didn't want to bring her to her apartment.

"Okay," said blankly.

They barely spoke as they left the hospital and made their way to his apartment. He settled her into bed and was bringing her a glass of water when the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" she asked.

He braced himself and answered "I called Christina."

"Why did you do that?" She was obviously angry.

"Because I think it will do you good to talk to her," he said.

"Why can't I just talk to you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Betty-" he began, but the sound of the doorbell ringing again interrupted him. Giving her a stubborn look, he got up and answered the door.

"Hi," Christina said softly, giving him a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," was all he could think to say. "She's mad that I called you."

"Just let me handle Betty," she replied as he led her to the bedroom.

Daniel watched as Christina sat on the bed and held out her arms. Betty willingly went into them and began to cry. He turned away and went into the living room.

A little while later, Christina emerged. "She's asleep," she told him.

He nodded then asked, "Can you stay with her for a while? I need to go…clean up her apartment."

"I can stay as long as you need," she answered, "but wouldn't you want to stay here with Betty and let me go?"

"No, I think it's better if you stay," he said.

* * *

Daniel opened the door to the darkened apartment. Turning on the light, he saw the flowers and soup still on the dining room table. He poured the soup out into the sink, then took out a garbage bag and threw the container and the flowers away.

Taking a deep breath, he walked into the bedroom. The bedspread had been thrown on the floor in the haste to get Betty onto the stretcher, leaving the blood-soaked sheets visible. In a fit of anger, Daniel ripped the sheets away from the bed and stuffed them into the garbage bag, then he threw the bag across the room. As the bag landed against the wall, he sat down on the mattress and cried.

* * *

When he got back to his apartment, Betty was lying on the couch and eating soup. "Hey," Daniel said, trying to sound cheery, "I brought some things I thought you'd need."

Betty looked at the bag, "I can go back to my place tomorrow."

Christina looked uneasily between the two of them.

"Well, just in case you decide to stay here for a few days," he replied.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready for bed," Christina said, hoping to ease the tension.

"Yeah, of course," Daniel said, "everything you need should be in the guest room. Thanks again, Christina."

"Yeah, thanks," Betty told her, too.

"Oh, no thanks needed," Christina answered, giving Betty a hug before leaving the room.

Suddenly Betty became very interested in her bowl of soup. Daniel sighed and sat down on the other end of the couch, pulling her feet onto his lap.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked.

"No, are you mad at me?" she asked in reply.

He shook his head in confusion. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"For not knowing I was pregnant, for losing our baby," she answered, lowering her head.

Sighing again, Daniel carefully lifted her feet and scooted closer to her. Taking the bowl of soup, he put it on the coffee table. He lifted her chin until her eyes met his. "You did nothing wrong," he told her, "This is horrible. It sucks beyond words, but it's not your fault, and it's not mine. It just happened."

"I'm sorry it happened," she said, tears once again welling in her eyes, "the miscarriage, I mean, not being pregnant."

"I know," he assured her, "me, too." After a moment he said, "We're going to get through this, Betty, I swear."

Betty took the hand that was holding her chin, placed his palm against her cheek. "We will," she agreed.

* * *

Christina left the next morning, but not before getting a promise from them to come to her place in Scotland for a weekend to rest and recuperate. They agreed not to tell their families, particularly in light of Hilda's pregnancy. Betty returned to work on Friday and they resumed their lives.

A week later, they were in bed at Betty's apartment. Daniel made a few last notes in a work folder, then put it on the night table and turned out the light. When he rolled over and kissed Betty goodnight, she held onto him and kissed him again.

"Are you sure?" he asked, "Is it okay?"

"The doctor said it was fine as long as the bleeding stopped, which happened the next day," she assured him. When he still looked skeptical she said, "Please, Daniel, I need to know that this hasn't changed us."

"But it has changed us," he replied. She looked stricken, but he continued, "It hurt us, but it didn't kill us. And what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Betty smiled at the thought of them being stronger. "No one's ever loved me like you do," she told him.

"I know," Daniel said, giving her a mischievous grin.

"And no one's ever loved you like I do," she said.

"I know," he repeated, though more seriously. When she reached out to him again, he didn't question her.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Thank you again for reading and for your awesome feedback. I was worried about that last chapter, but you all seem to like angst! One person commented that I write Daniel as a really great boyfriend. That's because in the series, once he settled down with a woman, he was a great boyfriend. As much as I hated the whole Molly thing, Daniel's character matured through that, so I think his new maturity, coupled with his already strong bond with Betty, would make him a great boyfriend for her.**_

_**The next chapter should be the last.**_

**

* * *

****Coming Home**

The Friday afternoon they were supposed to leave for Christina's, Daniel had a work emergency. One of their clients decided to change an ad last minute, meaning he had to go into the office on Saturday. But he convinced Betty to take Oliver and go to Scotland anyway. She spent the day lounging with Christina, watching Stuart and little Sammy play fetch with Oliver and feeling as relaxed as Christina had wished.

* * *

Betty awoke at 2:30 in the morning to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Checking the caller ID, she answered, "Daniel, are you all right?"

"Hey, Betty, it's me," he slurred, "Daniel."

He was obviously drunk. She couldn't help but smile at his greeting. "I know who you are," she replied, "though it has been a really long time since you drunk dialed me."

"I don't drink that much anymore," he agreed, "because there is a lot of alcullis-, alcohulls-…there are a lot of drunks in my family."

While Betty was amused, she was also a little concerned. "Honey, where are you?"

"I'm at your place," he answered, then let out a burp. "'Scuse me. I couldn't remember my address, but I remembered yours. Weird, huh?"

"Very weird," Betty said, nodding her head.

"Do you mind me staying here?" he asked.

"No, of course not!" she replied, but then was immediately was struck by another thought. "You are alone, aren't you?"

"Yep, my mates from the office got me into a cab," he said. Betty chose to ignore the fact that he was now speaking in his bad British accent. "We went out for a few drinks after we finished the project," he continued, "I'm really good at my job, Betty."

At that she laughed outright. "Yes, you are," she told him. "I think I'm going to take the early train home tomorrow, because it sounds like you are going to be quite hung over."

"No, you should have fun at Christina's," he answered. "You should have fun, and I'll just lay here. Your bed feels weird without you in it. Can I sleep on your pillow?"

"Just remember to sleep on your side and not your back, in case you throw up," she reminded him. She pictured him sprawled across her bed, cell phone pressed against his ear, and she wished she was there.

"I love you, Daniel."

"Aww, really?" he asked. "Cause I love you. I really do. And I like you, too."

She was about to respond when she heard a crash. "What was that?"

"I didn't turn the light off," was his reply, which Betty took to mean he knocked the lamp over. "Daniel, pick up the lamp."

She kept at him until she felt sure he had turned the lamp right-side up and that her apartment wouldn't catch on fire. Then she said, "Why don't you get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Hey, Betty?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"I'm really glad you're my girlfriend."

She shook her head in amusement. "Fiancée'," she corrected. "I'm going to hang up now. Turn off your phone, okay?"

Betty waited until she heard the click on his end before hanging up her phone. Laughing to herself, she lay down and went back to sleep.

* * *

"Good morning!" Betty said happily as she entered the kitchen, rolling her suitcase behind her.

"Good morning," Christina answered, "why are you packed already?"

"Daniel called me in the middle of the night drunk," she explained, "so I'm catching the early train to go see about him."

Christina clucked. "Daniel's a big boy; he can take care of himself."

Betty smiled. "I know, but… oh, okay, I admit it. I like taking care of Daniel. I'm good at it, too."

"Yes, you are," her friend replied.

"Lately it seems like all Daniel's done is take care of me," Betty said, "and I miss taking care of him. I miss _him_. Does that seem lame?"

"What, to miss the man after being away from him only one day?" Christina asked. "No, it seems like you're in love."

"Thank you, Christina," Betty said, giving her a hug before heading out.

* * *

She arrived home to find Daniel lying on the floor of her bathroom with a washcloth over his forehead. "Hi, honey," she said quietly as she tiptoed in. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, god, Betty, I am never drinking again," he replied without bothering to open his eyes.

"Do you want me to fix you some of Hilda's hangover remedy?" she asked as she removed the washcloth and helped him get to his feet.

"I'd rather throw up again," he sneered.

* * *

A few hours later he emerged from the bedroom, freshly showered. "Hey, you look human again!" Betty enthused.

"I only feel sub-human," he said sheepishly. "I'm sorry I called you and ruined your weekend."

"Don't apologize," she replied, "I kind of enjoyed it, and I was ready to get back to you, anyway."

Daniel chuckled and draped his arm over her leg.

"So, you had a good time with the guys last night?" Betty asked.

"Yep," he answered. After a moment's hesitation he added, "Uh, something happened last night that I should probably tell you about."

She felt her heart lurch. "What?"

"I got hit on by a woman who works in Accounting," he said, darting his eyes at her to judge her reaction.

Betty was slightly relieved. "And what did you do?" she asked.

"I turned her down!" he screamed, then grabbed his head and said, "Ouch."

"Wait, this woman works at the agency," Betty thought aloud, "so shouldn't she know you're engaged?"

He winced. "She does. She said that I'm known around the office as 'The Unattainable One.' Then she said that she likes challenges." Daniel shuddered remembering the woman's advances.

"And you just said no?"

"Um-hmm," he confirmed. "And I moved down a few bar stools and sat between some of the guys. It was about that time when I started drinking a lot faster."

Betty couldn't decide if she was more amused at Daniel or angry at the woman. "So, you got drunk because some skank hit on you?"

"Pretty much," he nodded. When she laughed, he said, "Hey! It's been a while since I got hit on, and she was persistent: I didn't know what to do. Anyway, Gordon and Scott made sure I got safely in the cab and on my way to your place, so no harm, no foul."

"Who was she?" Betty asked with menace in her voice.

"Oh, honey, I don't think you need to know that," he replied, trying to diffuse her anger.

"You bet I do," she answered. "It's that Daphne isn't it?" She saw it written all over his face. "I _knew_ she looked slutty when I met her at the Christmas party!"

"Isn't the important thing here that I'm completely committed to you?" Daniel asked. "She only matters if we let her."

"Yeah, well, just wait until the next time I'm at your office," Betty threatened, "I'm going to let her know what matters." She held up her engagement ring, with her hand in a fist, "This matters, baby."

Noting his shocked reaction, she asked "What?"

"Nothing, you just, sounded like Hilda," he said.

"Really?" she responded, instantly back to herself. "Wow, I don't usually get that angry."

"It's kind of hot," Daniel remarked, "you being all protective of your territory."

"Oh, really?" she replied seductively before catching onto something he said. "Wait, are you saying my sister is hot?"

Daniel knew he was walking into a losing battle. "Okay, shutting up now," he said, "I need food."

Betty couldn't help but laugh at the way he quickly jumped off the couch then held his head in pain as he made his way to the refrigerator.

He might be a scruffy, hung over mess, but he was her mess, and she was happy to be with him.

"It's good to be home," she said quietly to herself.


	22. Chapter 22

_**This is technically the last chapter, but an Epilogue will follow. Thanks again for reading and for all of the wonderful feedback! **_

**

* * *

****What a Difference a Year Makes**

At the end of March, Betty's lease was up and she moved in with Daniel. A few weeks later, as they were sitting outside their favorite café on a warm Sunday morning, she mentioned that it was Hilda and Bobby's anniversary.

"Is it?" Daniel asked, thinking for a moment. "Wow, a lot has changed in the last year."

Betty glanced down at her engagement ring. "It has," she agreed. "Did you know I accepted Lindsey's job offer that day?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "Before or after the wedding?"

"During the reception," she answered. "When you went off to dance with Hilda and I told you I was going to the ladies room? I actually went outside and called him."

He made no effort to hide his shock. "What made you do that in the middle of your sister's wedding?"

"I didn't want to lose my nerve," Betty explained. "I couldn't stop thinking about the job offer, and when we talked about how I didn't have to always take care of my family, I realized how much I wanted it. So I just called him right then."

"Huh," Daniel said. "So you were thinking about leaving the whole time…"

"The whole time what?" she asked when he didn't finish.

"The whole time I was realizing I felt more for you than friendship," he answered.

Betty's jaw dropped in surprise. "What? I thought you said you didn't realize that until you found out I was leaving."

"I didn't admit it to myself until after you said you were leaving," he corrected, "and after Mom forced it out of me. But something happened that day, when Hilda talked about marrying her best friend, and how you know you love someone when you would do anything to protect them.

"I looked over at you, and something changed," he continued. "It scared the hell out of me, so I just convinced myself I was emotional because of our fight before, and because it was the first wedding I'd been to since I got married. But it kept gnawing at me that week. I paid more attention to how often I picked up the phone to call you or walked over to your office. That night I was looking at the photos for the 100th anniversary issue, I called because I just wanted your company."

"I had no idea," Betty said, shaking her head.

"Of course not, you were too busy plotting how to abandon me," Daniel quipped. Seeing the look of protest on her face, he hurriedly added, "I'm just kidding. See, we can joke about these things now."

"Can we?" she smirked. He smirked back and took a sip of his coffee.

"I thought it was going to be so hard to tell my family I was leaving, but it was nothing compared to trying to tell you," she noted. "Every time I said I was going to, I just couldn't. It's like I told you your first night here; if you had asked me to stay, I would have, because as much as I wanted the job, I didn't want to leave you."

She reached over and grabbed his hand. He picked hers up and kissed it just above her engagement ring. "All's well that ends well," he said. "Now, tell me again why we need a new couch?"

"Ugh, Daniel, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Oliver has chewed up the bottom and the pillows beyond repair. Thank goodness he's grown out of that gnawing stage."

Daniel smiled as he listened to her carry on about chewed pillows, worn fabric and the couch being the wrong size for their end tables. He knew full well that he would give in and that she would choose the new piece of furniture, but nonetheless he enjoyed the sound of her voice and the way her hands flew about as she made her argument. Watching her in "Betty mode" was his favorite form of entertainment.

* * *

**Someday**

Hilda and Bobby welcomed their daughter into the world in the middle of May. Betty and Daniel took a long weekend at the end of the month and flew to New York to meet little Rosa. Because they were only in town for two days, they stayed in a hotel in the city that was close to the Talercios' apartment.

"Oh, Hilda, she's so beautiful," Betty said as she held her niece. From across the room, Daniel tried to ignore the tugging at his heart at the sight of Betty holding a baby. His mother placed a hand on his arm. While she had no idea about the miscarriage, Claire knew that Daniel wanted to be a father, and how much it had hurt him to lose DJ.

"You okay, sweetheart?" she asked.

He smiled and patted her hand. "Just fine, Mom," he answered. "You about ready for our dinner date?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

As Claire said goodbye and cooed over the baby one last time, Daniel pulled Betty aside. "I'll give you a call when I drop Mom off at the house, then I'll come back by and pick you up. Unless you want to come with us?" he asked hopefully.

"You're being a good son," she told him, grabbing his cheeks like a little boy before kissing him goodbye.

After they left, Betty sat next to Hilda on the couch while she held the baby. "I'm so happy for you, Hilda," she said as she reached out for Rosa's little hand.

"I know, I'm so lucky," Hilda replied, looking down at her daughter then back up at her sister. "Hey, this is going to be you someday."

"Yeah, someday," Betty answered with an enigmatic smile.

* * *

Sensing that Hilda needed rest and feeling tired herself, Betty decided to leave when they put Rosa down for a nap. She called Daniel and told him she'd meet him back at the hotel.

She was sitting up in bed flipping through a copy of _Mode_ when he came in.

"What's that?" Betty asked at the sight of a Styrofoam container in his hand.

"Cheesecake, for you," Daniel answered, waving it in the air before setting it in her lap and giving her a kiss.

"Aww, what a nice surprise," she said as he joined her on the bed. "So, how was your dinner?"

"It was good," he replied, leaning back. "As much as I like to complain about Mom insisting that we have mother-son time when I'm in town, I actually enjoy it."

"I know. I'm glad you make time for her," Betty said. Putting the cheesecake on the nightstand, she slid over and into Daniel's arms, hugging him tightly.

He smiled at the force of her embrace. Stroking her hair he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired," she answered. He knew that wasn't everything.

"You must have thought about our baby when you saw Rosa today," he ventured.

Betty sighed. "Of course I did, and obviously you did, too." After a moment she said, "I can't believe it can hurt so much to lose something you didn't even know you had."

Daniel wrapped his arms around her tighter and kissed her forehead. "I know, but it does."

She smiled at the thought of her niece. "Rosa is beautiful, isn't she?"

"Very beautiful," he agreed. "You know, Betty, we'll have our own baby someday."

"I know," she replied, "someday."

She pulled herself up and leaned against the headboard next to him. "Daniel, I'm really tired of 'someday.'"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"We keep saying, 'Someday when we get married' and 'Someday when we have kids.' I don't want to wait anymore."

Daniel had an idea of where this was going, and hoped he was right. "So, what exactly are you saying?"

Betty looked at him point blank and said, "I'm saying I want to get married. I want to have your baby."

"Tonight?" he asked playfully, reaching out for her. "Cause I can get a Justice of the Peace out of bed and then we can get right to the baby-making part."

"No, not tonight," she groaned in pretend frustration and pushed him away. "But I think we should set a wedding date."

"Hey, I was waiting on you," he replied, holding out his arms in acquiescence as he once again leaned back. "Just tell me when and where. Though I guess we'll have to wait until we're back in London to check our schedules."

Betty nodded in agreement. Then an idea came to her that made her smile. She sat up on her knees and took his hands. "Daniel Meade, you are the best friend I've ever had. You are the most wonderful man I've ever known – aside from my father, of course – and you are the love of my life. Will you, in the spring of 2012 on a day to be determined, marry me?"

Daniel smiled at her version of his marriage proposal. "Yes," he answered, placing a hand on her cheek. "You've let me come along for the ride this far; no way I'm getting off now."

"Yay," she squealed, "We're getting married!" Then she laughed and said, "Well, someday!"

"Not someday," he corrected, smiling, "ONE day, next spring."

After sealing their agreement with a kiss, he asked, "Can I have a bite of your cheesecake?"

"You didn't get your own?" she asked defensively, though she was already reaching over for the small box.

"I had crème brulee," he answered sheepishly as she settled in beside him.

"Well, if you had that I don't see why you need any of my dessert," she responded before sticking a forkful of the cheesecake in her mouth. "Yum, it's so good," she said dramatically, teasing him.

"That's just mean," he replied, to which she placed the next forkful in his mouth.

Their banter continued as they ate together, talking about the future and relishing the moment.


	23. Chapter 23

**Epilogue**

* * *

**Three years later**

Daniel glanced up from his laptop as Betty walked in the door. "Wow, that went late," he said.

"I know, and I'm exhausted," she groaned as she sat down with him at the dining table and kicked off her shoes.

"Did you at least get the printing issues worked out?" he asked.

"Yes, thankfully," she replied. Betty placed her chin in her hand and closed her eyes for a minute. When she opened them she said, "Daniel, I think I need a break."

"Okay," he replied without looking up, "We can take a quick trip somewhere; maybe Prague, since we never made it there last year."

"No, I mean I think I'm going to quit the magazine."

This got his full attention. "What? You love your job."

She nodded her head as she sat up. "I do love it, but I don't know if I want to work this hard anymore. We're talking about having a baby, and I don't see how I can keep up these hours and be pregnant, much less take care of an infant."

"I get that," Daniel said, "and you know I'll support whatever decision you make; just don't do anything hasty. Maybe you can talk to Lindsey about getting a co-editor, to take some of the work off of you."

"Maybe," she agreed.

* * *

A few days later Daniel received an email from his mother requesting a video chat with him, Betty and Alexis that evening about urgent business. Betty met him at his office after hours, where he projected his mother and sister's faces onto the television in his office.

"Wilhelmina came to me this afternoon and resigned," Claire told them. "She wants to move away with Connor, and she's offered to sell us back her share of the company."

"Well, it will be great to get the company back within the family," Daniel said, "But who's going to run it? Alexis?"

"Don't look at me," Alexis answered. "I'm happy to split the cost of buying Wilhelmina out, but I don't want the job. I'm happy here. I have Marcel, who loves me as I am, and I have DJ, and I'm not willing to give that up."

"Fair enough," Claire replied. "Daniel?"

Betty looked over at Daniel, who hesitated a moment before saying, "Get the lawyers started on the contracts transferring ownership back to me and Alexis. The CFO can handle things until we have time to find some viable candidates for president and CEO. Mom, I can fly to New York in a couple of weeks and do the interviews with you and sign all the paperwork."

His mother looked as if she was about to say something, then stopped. Betty knew the unasked question. Finally Claire thanked Daniel for his offer to help with the arrangements. They all agreed to the terms and ended the chat.

* * *

As they were having dinner that evening, Betty asked, "Daniel, do you want to run Meade again?"

He looked surprised. "What do you mean? I don't see how we could possibly transfer the main operations of the company here. It would be a logistical nightmare."

"You didn't answer the question," Betty noted, "and I think it's because you do want to run the company."

"Our lives are here, Betty," was all he said.

"They don't have to be," she told him. "We could go back to New York."

Daniel stared at her for a moment before answering, "No. I couldn't ask you to give up your magazine."

"Why not; you gave up your magazine for me," she retorted. "Besides, I'm not even sure it's what I want anymore."

He laughed cynically. "I don't believe that."

Betty's voice rose a few octaves. "It's true! I've been thinking more about it since we talked the other night."

"Did my mother talk to you?" he asked suspiciously. "Are saying this because you think I want the job?"

"No, Daniel, Claire didn't talk to me," she insisted, "I'm telling you how I feel."

He sat back in his chair and let out a breath. "I'm not sure what to say here," he told her.

"Just tell me how _you_ feel."

"Okay, I admit it!" he said. "I would like to run Meade again. But that doesn't mean I'm going to ask you to pick up the life we built here and move back to New York."

Betty reached out for his hand. "And yet you didn't bat an eyelash about moving your life here because I got my dream job."

Daniel smiled, shook his head and fiddled with her wedding band.

"Maybe it's a sign that I'm starting to feel this burned out right when Wilhelmina wants out of the company," she insisted, "Maybe it's time for us to go home."

"You're my home," he said softly. "We could talk to Lindsey about buying the rights to an American version of the magazine," he offered. "You could run it out of Meade."

"I guess," she said with a sigh. "Honestly, right now I just want some rest." She smiled and squeezed his hand, "I just want to get pregnant."

He squeezed back. "That, I can help you with."

Betty cut her eyes at him. "Don't try and change the subject. If you want the job, we should call your mother before she starts looking for other candidates."

"What about you?"

"There are plenty of magazines at Mode, Daniel," she replied sarcastically. "Maybe I can work as a consultant, taking stock of how each magazine is doing; that way I can have flexible hours. I can still work but not be as stressed."

"That's really not a bad idea," Daniel said, nodding his head in thought. He tilted his head as he looked at her and asked, "Are we really talking about doing this?"

"If it's what you want, yes," she answered.

* * *

**Two months later**

Betty and Daniel sat side-by-side on the bed in their new apartment in New York. Daniel twiddled his thumbs and tried not to look at his watch. Betty got up and began placing clothes from one of the many boxes in the room into the dresser.

"How can you unpack at a time like this?" he asked her, agitated.

"I have to do something to pass the time," she answered, equally agitated.

He got up and began pacing. "Is it just me, or is this the longest three minutes in history?"

"Like the Earth has stopped rotating," she agreed.

Finally the beeper on his phone sounded. He turned it off and they looked at each other. Then they both raced into the bathroom.

Betty grabbed the stick and Daniel peered over her shoulder. "What does it say?" he asked.

"Oh, my god," she said.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's okay," he told her, "isn't it supposed to take something like six months? We have plenty of time."

"No, Daniel, it's positive," Betty replied, turning to face him. Her face lit up with a smile. "I'm pregnant." When he stared at her with his jaw wide open she repeated, "I'm pregnant!"

"Oh, my god!" he yelled.

"That's what I said!" she yelled back and threw her arms around him.

Daniel laughed and picked her up, then sat her feet on the floor and kissed her.

With their foreheads touching, Daniel smiled and said, "We're going to have a baby."

"You ready for this?" she asked.

"As long as I'm with you," he answered, "I'm ready for anything."

-end-


End file.
